The Heroic Calamity - Original
by AzureStoryTeller
Summary: This is a repost of the original "Heroic Calamity". Since several people have asked for me to do it, I'm doing it. I've settled the differences between the original and the reboot, so I don't think there's an issue about the plot being predicted anymore. So, here's original Heroic Calamity. Fem Vali. AU. Discontinued. See the Rebooted Version. It's just called "The Heroic Calamity"
1. Chapter 1: Instinctively Charmed

_**NOTICE: As I said in the description, I've decided to repost the original version of the story. Many of you asked for it, and I didn't want you to feel ignored. I was indeed reading your messages and reviews. After outlining the plots for the Reboot and the Original, I figured it was safe to repost the original version again. Looking back on it, I made a lot of mistakes, so I trashed it. However, after looking back on it again, I realized just how much love I put into the original version. So, here you go, the original version of "The Heroic Calamity".**_

_**I haven't altered any content from the original story. I kept it as it was before I deleted it. I didn't want to mess with something that people liked. So, enjoy, and hopefully, this doesn't plant any stigma on the Rebooted version of the story. As much as I like this version and I understand that others like it, do give the rebooted version a try too. Of course, it's still too early to say anything, but do as you will.**_

* * *

**The Heroic Calamity**

**Chapter 1: Instinctively Charmed**

Issei, a relatively normal 17-year-old teenager, had just begun his 2nd year at Kuoh Academy. It was conveniently close to his home and offered a good education. He lived a relatively normal life. He didn't stand out much, as he had an average build with brown eyes and brown hair. That aside, he was friendly with several students, earning a reputation as a withdrawn but nice guy.

However, that was all going to change soon.

The start of the change in his life began on the first day of school.

After the boring speech from the Headmaster, Issei went to class, where there was to be a new transfer student entering the 2nd year. He heard rumors going around about how it was a foreign aristocrat coming to the school. He didn't bother to read into it, though. He didn't see a reason to worm into someone else's business or life.

* * *

When class started, the teacher introduced the rumored student. The door opened and in came the most beautiful young woman that Issei had ever seen. His breath hitched and he paused as he took in the sight before him.

The new student had silver hair that shined like flowing lines of stars, with a black headband that was decorated and resembled a toned-down tiara in a sense. Blue eyes that were like sapphire gems glanced around. Accompanied by these traits, was a body that was suitable for a deity. The new transfer student had a very gifted bust with a tall, lithe, and lean figure and pale skin. However, Issei felt that something was different about her. She radiated a cool and gentle aura around herself, like a princess that was naturally several leagues above everyone else.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Validia Lucieln. I've just transferred here recently, so I hope to learn from all of you. I hope that we can get along." She politely spoke with a small smile while bowing.

"Are there any questions for Lucieln-san?" The teacher asked.

Several hands were raised in response.

"How long have you been in Japan?" One student asked.

"I came for a long stay about 10 years ago. Besides that, I've only been here for a few months."

"Where are you from?" Another questioned.

"My family travels a lot so I can't really say that I'm from a particular place."

As Issei watched her, he noticed that Validia remained polite but retained a slightly distant position from the people that spoke to her. If the questions got too personal, she'd deflect it or outright reject answering in a polite manner.

"Lucieln-san, do you have a boyfriend?"

"No. I'm not looking for one, though." She quickly shot that balloon down.

Dismissing his own analysis of her character, the class continued. However, a particular thing had happened that Issei didn't really bother to read into. That was the fact that Validia was seated next to him. This earned him a few unwanted stares, with low mutters of jealousy coming from several guys, who wanted to be close to her. It also didn't help that several elbows were poking into his side, as a crowd had quickly formed around her.

He had to admit, Validia was amazingly beautiful. In his opinion, she was much more beautiful than even the Four Great Ladies of Kuoh.

When class ended, Issei was approached by the teacher.

"Hyoudou? Would it be possible for you to show Lucieln-san around campus later? Given how new she is; it would be nice if someone from her class personally shows her around. You've been to the Kuoh Middle School and have been at this school since the 1st year, so I thought you'd be a trustworthy choice." The teacher sheepishly smiled.

"Of course. I'll make sure to show her around." Issei nodded.

Validia gave Issei a gracious smile as they exchanged greetings.

"Hello, Hyoudou-san. I'm grateful that you're willing to show me around." She bowed. Her tone remained polite with him, though it wasn't as cold as when she initially introduced herself.

"I'm happy to help. You can just call me Issei. I'm not much for formalities." Issei smiled lightly, not wanting to come off as being too uninterested or overly-friendly.

As the day drew closer to an end, Issei guided Validia around campus. He showed her the Lunchroom, the exits out of the school, the ways to the rooftop, the gym, the track field, and the zones for sports.

"Kuoh isn't too spectacular when it comes to equipment but there are a lot of clubs and activities." Issei spoke about tidbits of information that he hoped would be interesting to Validia.

"Are you in any clubs?" She asked, curious for input.

"No. I just come to school and go home. I haven't found any activities that interest me right now." Issei shook his head.

After the generic tour was done with, Issei walked Validia to the gates of Campus, where a white limousine was parked. He found that something seemed odd, but when he saw how casually Validia walked towards it, he assumed it was here to pick her up.

Validia turned around and flashed him a small smile.

"Thanks for showing me around today, Issei-san. I'll see you tomorrow." She bowed before entering the car and leaving.

Issei watched as the ivory vehicle disappeared into the distance before walking home in the late afternoon sun.

* * *

The next day, Validia sat at her seat and gave Issei a courteous look, accompanied by a small grin.

"Good morning, Hyoudou-san."

"Good morning, Lucieln-san."

This was their usual routine whenever they met up, greeting each other politely before going their own ways. One day, Validia came to school but learned that she had forgotten one of her textbooks.

"Hyoudou, would you be so kind as to share your textbook with Validia?" The teacher had asked.

"Sure." He smiled at Validia and scooted over.

The silver-haired girl gave him a grateful look before focusing on the lesson. Issei would've done the same if he wasn't being stared at by other guys, who were obviously the ones who'd drool all over her.

"Hm…" Issei stared at his textbook, baffled by the English assignment.

"What's wrong?" Validia asked, choosing not to ignore him.

"I don't understand this assignment." He pointed at several marked areas on his worksheet.

"Well, the English language only uses one dialect, unlike katakana and kanji, for example. The Japanese writing system doesn't use plurals, either, in which the English make use of. Like here…" She then went on to explain to Issei what he was doing wrong.

This quickly became routine, as the two began to draw closer, helping one another out when they noticed that there was trouble.

Weeks went by and Issei found that Validia was actually quite warm, even a bit playful, though still polite. However, he found that this particular behavior was only exhibited around him. She'd crack small jokes and make small smiles when conversing with others about certain topics, like recent TV shows and recent events.

"So, Lucieln-san, I heard that your family runs the 'Temptative Products' Corporation. Is that true?" Murayama, a twin-tailed brunette asked energetically.

"Yes, my grandfather is the president of the company." She admitted.

"It must be stressful to be the granddaughter then." Katase commented.

"It has its ups and downs?" Validia waved away the comment.

For every single break, this happened. It was becoming clear that Validia wasn't too comfortable with the constant questions, though.

* * *

When lunchtime came around, Issei went to the rooftop to eat his lunch, as he enjoyed watching the peaceful scenery of Kuoh's Town. While opening his bento box, the door to the roof opened, revealing a familiar face.

"Oh? Sorry, am I disturbing you?" Validia sheepishly asked.

"No, you're fine. Feel free to do as you please here." Issei made a small smile.

"Thanks. It's been a bit hectic lately." She then sat down on one of the benches.

"Lots of people still asking personal questions?" Issei guessed. Well, not really, but the word just felt right to him.

"Yeah. Other times, it's invitations to go out and have fun, like karaoke and concerts. I find some of those requests to be a bit sketchy, though." She warily sighed.

"Well, if there's anything I can help with, let me know." Issei offered nonchalantly.

"Noted." Vali nodded.

The two opened their lunches and looked at the difference in style between their foods. Issei's lunch was simply ginger steak with fried green beans and pickled bamboo with rice and fruit, while Vali's was having soup with rolled omelets, fried chicken, salad, and rice.

"Simple lunch?" Validia remarked.

"Balanced lunch?" Issei questioned.

The two laughed when they realized that they spoke at the same time, small chuckles escaping from their lips. It was odd how quickly the two got along.

"So, how do you feel about Kuoh? Is it annoying you yet?" Issei asked.

"It's certainly peaceful and pleasant. I don't mind it. Still, there's been talk about this group of people around the school. Something about the Four Great Ladies of Kuoh?" Validia asked with a skeptic look.

Issei deadpanned.

"Yeah. Sounds like it came out of a light novel, right? Well, to explain it, it's merely a group of four 3rd year females. They have beauty and graceful personalities that make them seem sisterly and are adored for having looks and brains."

"Who are they, exactly?"

"As I recall, two of them are in the Student Council: Sona Shitori and Shinra Tsubaki. The other two are Rias Gremory and Himejiima Akeno, who are in the Occult Research Club." Issei passively spoke.

While he thought they were beautiful, he didn't find the desire to simply gawk at them like others. There were too many people doing that already.

After this revelation, Validia looked like she had spaced out, looking into the distance while sporting a look of discovery.

"Interesting." She muttered.

"Why the interest?" Issei looked at Validia with a quizzical look.

"People were talking about making me one of them. Something about me being a candidate for being member number five?" She raised a brow of skepticism, changing her expression almost instantly.

"Not surprised." Issei muttered.

Validia had proven that she was extremely intelligent, having already aced the first few quizzes of the semester with perfect scores, further solidifying the build-up for her reputation.

"I feel like trouble is coming." Validia sighed.

"Best of luck. If you need someone to talk to, then I'm all ears." Issei flatly spoke, though there was a touch of sincerity in his words. He knew what it was like to feel singled out and alone. He had been experiencing that for most of his school life. At least he wasn't friends with the Perverted Duo, though. Yeesh.

Validia made a small smile. Issei had retained a polite but friendly approach with her throughout their conversation. He didn't fawn over her or lost his cool. He treated her respectfully but not to the point of isolation.

"Thanks. Well, I should get going. I have stuff to do now. I'm grateful that you were willing to talk to me." She grinned before leaving.

"Anytime." He responded before she closed the door behind herself.

He found that Validia had taken these words to heart, as she started to come to him often to talk as time went by. It wasn't really about her personal problems though, but rather just for friendly socialization.

"So, what are your likes?" Issei asked passively.

"I like to read and exercise regularly. I also like the color white and pudding. What about you, Issei-san?" She returned a question.

"I happen to like listening to music and artistic activities like painting and drawing. As for color, I guess I like navy blue. Concerning food, I love chocolate." He recounted with a small grin.

"How about dislikes?" Validia pressed on.

"I definitely don't like eggs. I don't mind if it's an ingredient but when I eat it in any form where it's discernable, I get the urge to vomit. I also don't like noisy crowds, like concert crowds." He admitted as he looked at her, signaling for her confession.

"Well, I don't like the horror genre. I never liked gore and the like. It makes me uncomfortable."

Their daily conversations were quite similar to this, where the two simply got to know each other. It was a pleasant time for them as Issei became the friend that Validia needed to adjust to her new life and home. She also became someone who reduced the loneliness that Issei often found himself in. It was a beneficial relationship for both sides. This continued for about 2 months, by Issei's estimates.

* * *

One day, Issei decided to ask and see if Validia wanted to do something after school, hoping to maintain a better friendship with her outside of campus. He found that he truly wanted to friends with her, which was new as he hadn't felt the urge for this kind of thing in a long time.

"Hey, Validia-san, want to hang out after school?" He asked casually.

She smiled sadly at him.

"Sorry, Issei-kun. I actually have business with the ORC so I won't be able to hang out tonight."

"What's the ORC?" He asked, making an oblivious look.

"It's the Occult Research Club. We investigate supernatural cases and make prints and reports of them. I joined with them last week." She smiled.

This smile was something that stood out to Issei, in which it pulsed with excitement. It was a smile that he would soon begin to see less and less.

"No problem." He smiled and nodded. He wasn't upset and was rather glad that she found more friends to associate with. However, a part of him was a bit disappointed.

Sadly, he found himself doing that often for the next long while, as Validia became more and more pre-occupied with ORC activities. She also came to their usual lunches less frequently. Apparently, the club was quite busy with activities.

"I'm sorry, Issei-kun. I wish we could hang out like usual but things have been cropping up so I need to deal with it first." She apologetically looked at him one time after another invitation.

"Don't worry about it. Prioritize what you need to." He smiled to relieve her of her worries.

However, he indeed felt the distance increasing between. It had now been 4 months since they met, with Issei finding himself oddly gravitating to her. He found it easy to speak to her and he felt some sort of security when around her. He didn't understand why he felt so charmed with her. Was it her beauty? Or was it her personality? Whatever the case, he dismissed the thought, thinking of it as unhealthy.

"How about I make it up to you? Let's hang out this Friday. There's a string of new movies coming out and a new restaurant just opened not too long ago. How's right after school sound?" She suggested.

"Sounds like a plan." He nodded.

The two knew that platonic implications were the only thing being made, as romance was still far out of the picture for the two of them, not that they were aware of that territory.

Later that day, Issei walked home but this time, he was met by a strange new phenomenon.

A raven-haired young woman wearing a school uniform that was different from his own had appeared. Her violet eyes shimmered with uncertainty and her face was flushed with nervous emotion.

"Um, my name is Amano Yuuma. Your name is Hyoudou Issei, right?"

Issei only nodded with a short yes.

"You see, I've seen you pass by here several times already and I…well…"

She shifted around nervously and avoided gazes with him multiple times, making Issei wonder if this was an act or if this was real. Nobody acted this way towards him before.

"Well, I've f-fallen for you. You seem so cool and calm and well…anyways. Will you go out with me?!" She asked with an earnest voice.

Issei deadpanned on the inside. He knew better than to fall into this sort of trap. There was the Third Law of Issei Hyoudou's Living Principles: Never date someone for the heck of it. Especially if you've known them for less than a month without significant interaction.

"I'm sorry but I must decline. I don't know you well enough to date you. I hope you can understand. I don't wish to be frivolous with this sort of thing. Nor would it be fair if dating wasn't mutual. Goodbye." He spoke gently with a calm but apologetic face.

As he walked away, he noticed that Yuuma looked dejected and gob-smacked, making him feel even worse about himself since he was now wondering if she was feeling genuine.

* * *

When Friday afternoon finally came, Issei waited by the gates of Campus. He looked at his phone and made sure to message his parents about his activities for the night. They always dogged him about his safety as they were quite protective of him. Sad thing was, they were constantly working out of the country.

Suddenly, he felt a hand tap his shoulder.

He turned and found not Validia, but someone else entirely. He peered into turquoise eyes and the face of a refined young lady with crimson hair and a stunning figure. The person in front of him was none other than Rias Gremory.

"Excuse me, but are you Hyoudou Issei-kun?" She asked politely.

"Yes. Did you need something Gremory-senpai?" He replied with a courteous tone.

"No, I don't. I just wanted to meet you. I also wanted to thank you for being a great friend to Validia. She's told me a lot about you. It seems for her first few months here, you've been the only one trying to be an actual friend." She smiled.

"Of course." He nodded. He wasn't exactly sure about how to answer those compliments.

She waved goodbye and smiled before walking away.

As she left, Issei turned around again as he heard footsteps approach.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we go?" Validia asked as Issei nodded with a smile.

The two walked forward but Validia directed them towards her white limousine.

"I'll take care of transportation. Hop in." She gestured.

Issei climbed into the car and peered at the contents held within. Small tables, a TV, a drink and snack bar, and a phone were placed into the car. He guessed this was one of the implied perks of being the granddaughter of a corporation president.

Validia felt a bit nervous when Issei got in. She hoped that he didn't gain a warped perception of her from this.

"So, where are we headed first, Ojou-sama?" The driver called back.

"Are you hungry?" Validia looked at Issei.

"No. Not yet." He admitted.

"Well then, let's go to the Movie Theater." She decided.

The Theater was made of grey stone, with neon lights decorating it, glowing in blue, red, and yellow lights. The interior had banners and posters of upcoming movies and frames of famous highest-grossing films. The floor was carpeted and several desks were waiting to hand out tickets.

"I heard that 'Draken Ruins' was a good movie." Issei noted, though he wasn't sure it was something Validia would be interested in.

"What's it about?"

"It's about a world that gets dominated by dragons but a band of humans work together to slay them. It's supposed to have a lot of drama, action, adventure, and romance. There's also tidbits of comedy, according to some reviews." Issei recounted.

"A movie critic?" Validia asked with a raised brow, a playful smirk across her lips.

"A hobby." Issei chuckled.

"Well, then. Let's watch it." She nodded in agreement.

"We don't have to. What movie did you want to watch?" Issei shook his head, starting to feel bad about seemingly directing her to this decision.

"It's fine. I may not look like it, but I'm also an action movie fan." Validia pointed out.

After a few more minutes of light-hearted arguing, Issei relented.

"Two tickets for Draken Ruins." He asked the front desk.

"That'll be 2,000 Yen."

Issei paid the amount quickly as Validia didn't even get the chance to reach for her wallet. He did the same for concessions, much to her protests.

"This was the night that I made things up to my friend, you know?" Validia sighed.

"Well, just think of this as me paying for gas, then." Issei chuckled.

* * *

After the movie, the two went to the newly opened restaurant that Validia had talked about. It was a Thai restaurant that had good reviews and it was decently priced. When they were seated, the two broke into conversation, sharing their recent experiences of the past few weeks.

"So how's the ORC? Is it interesting?" Issei asked.

"It's been busy. We've been investigating rumors around town and compiling reports. Besides that, nothing much has happened. We basically spend our time looking into supernatural rumors and folklore now. Still, the Club can be fun and the members are nice. It's really relaxing at times." Validia spoke before eating some of her pad thai.

"At least you're saying something positive about it."

"What about you?" Validia asked casually.

"Same old stuff. Wake up, go to school, go home. Repeat." He chuckled.

"Not a bad routine." The young lady laughed lightly in response.

The two laughed, joked, and ate for a while longer…until Validia's phone started to ring. She took it out of her jacket and cast a frown at it. It was clear that whatever message she got, it wasn't a pleasant one.

She looked up at Issei and gave him the same old apologetic smile that he had grown accustomed to.

"Work?" He laughed.

"I'm sorry, Issei. Something's come up again. It's personal business, this time. We're going to have to cut things short. Let me drop you off home, though." She gave him a gloomy look as she started to get up.

Issei smiled and shook his head.

"No worries. I can walk home. I don't want you to be late for whatever it is that you need to do."

Validia gave him a guilty look before Issei urged her along. She was going to protest but he stopped her.

"Don't fret over it. We've all got things to do in life. This isn't something to feel bad about. We can hang out another time." He chuckled.

He felt disappointment, yes, but he felt no resentment or any other negative emotion. He understood her circumstances and felt that it was nothing to be bothered about.

"Okay." Validia spoke hesitantly before leaving in her limousine, with Issei being left to walk home.

* * *

Thankfully, his home wasn't too far of a walk. He hoped for a peaceful venture back to his residence, but once again, things were not going to go his way. As he walked through a park, he was met by a young lady that he recognized to be Amano Yuuma.

He definitely knew something wasn't right, feeling a chill go up his spine as realized that he had walked into a deep pit that he just might never get out of.

"Amano-san?" He called out as she approached him.

Her eyes were masked by her bangs but her expression was still visible to the naked eye. Her lips curled into a smile as light shimmered around her. Her clothes disappeared as 2 black feathered wings sprouted from her back while black leather and spikes adorned her, forming something akin to an outfit, though it barely covered enough skin to be called that.

Issei stared in shock as he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Did some work of fiction come to life around him? By his estimates, Yuuma had become something like a Fallen Angel, given her black wings. He played enough games, watched enough anime, and read enough books to know.

"W-What are you?" He asked.

Before anything, a red spear materialized in a small flicker of light in Yuuma's hands. She smiled seductively at him and eyed him.

"My real name is Raynare. I'm a Fallen Angel, in case you haven't noticed." She quickly answered his question.

"What do you want?" Issei continued, while trying to look for a way out. He considered his chances of survival, but found that they were reasonably low. The way she just transformed and made a spear of light in her hands…that wasn't something he knew how to handle. Not to mention, he didn't have much fighting experience.

He didn't have time to freak out and ask questions either, as she didn't seem like the type to be cordial with him.

"You happen to have something that'll be a problem down the road. I'm not too certain of what it is in exact detail, but it's better to nip the rose in the bud before it blooms into a thorny plant." Raynare smirked.

"What?"

"Blame your maker for placing a Sacred Gear in you, boy. You can curse him all you want when you go up to meet him." She lifted her spear and threw it at him.

At that moment, Issei felt the world around him slow down.

'_Am I going to die here? Just waiting to get stabbed without being able to do anything?!_' He asked himself.

He recounted his life and contemplated the fact that he had lived a relatively normal life and yet, he had the urge to keep going. To see more and do more. He felt like there was so much more for him to do. He couldn't let this happen. He just couldn't keel over for something that he had no knowledge of.

'_No…I'm not going to let myself die for something like this! I will survive!_' He declared to himself.

Suddenly, Issei felt something pulse in his right arm.

It felt warm…and empowering. He felt adrenaline and energy rush through every cell of his being as his heartbeat seemed to slow. Something was different. Something was off.

He found himself being covered by a navy aura that had scared him. His heart seemed to speed up 1,000 miles per hour until he calmed down again. Suddenly, he felt stronger and everything was much clearer. His senses quadrupled in level as power coursed through him.

A burst of power exploded into the air, blasting wind across the landscape and blowing Raynare back while shattering her spear of light. Issei stared at his right forearm in surprise as he wondered what just happened. When did he have something like this? A black and navy metal gauntlet had clasped around it. Surprisingly, it didn't feel like clunky armor. Rather, it felt like a second skin or something.

"What?" He muttered as a light whisper.

"Che! I wanted to avoid that." Raynare growled.

Not understanding what exactly he was able to do with this, Issei did the first thing that came to mind, trusting his instincts.

He rushed forward, but found that his body was moving far faster than it could ever have before. He closed the distance between himself and Raynare within seconds, doing so nimbly as if he were gliding off the ground in a jump.

'_When was my body able to move like this? I feel so light and I moved farther and faster than I ever did before._' He asked himself, starting to worry about this sudden change to himself.

He shook his head and focused. He focused his strength into his right arm and punched Raynare brutally in the gut, causing her to vomit blood, with even a crunching sound making itself known. He noticed that a navy aura had covered his right fist when he struck her, remembering how the aura had exploded against her, propelling her in the opposite direction with a painful crash.

Dropping back to the ground from the air, Issei landed lightly on his feet.

"Damned human!" Raynare sneered at him and materialized another spear.

She threw it at him, following up with a volley of spears.

Instinctively, Issei sidestepped each spear with ease. As they sailed toward him, he felt like they were slow dandelion seeds making their way toward him. He could see each individual spear and know where to move. Feeling the urge to test a new idea, Issei grabbed one of the spears. He was happy to see that touching it didn't hurt him.

Issei aimed the spear and threw it back at Raynare. It whistled through the air as she tried to knock it off course by throwing another spear at it, but it was a mistake on her part. Issei's spear tore through her projectile and continued to fly at her.

Before she could do anything else, she was pierced in the left shoulder by the navy weapon, drawing blood from her. Staggering, Raynare glared at Issei, wishing death upon him as her face contorted into outrage.

Holding both of her hands into the air, she charged a large orb of light. This was when Issei knew that the tables had turned on him again.

"What do I do now?" Issei questioned.

Suddenly, a thought came about his mind. No…not a thought, a recollection. Obeying his mind's blind commands, Issei closed his eyes and moved as his body suggested. He opened his right palm and felt something flowing through it, like water down a stream. He recalled the power that he felt come from his gauntlet whenever he felt the need for power. Feeling something collect in his hand, he opened his eyes and saw a navy orb in his palm, shining vibrantly.

"Here goes nothing." He remarked as he pointed his palm at Raynare and let go of the tension in his hand.

Out came a destructive wave of energy that thrashed the air as a navy beam, catching Raynare in its path as she was reduced to nothing. All that was remaining of her, was her pain-filled echo, and even that was fading away.

Issei dropped to his knees as his body realized that it had just been thrown into a severe amount of stress. His lungs started to work in overdrive as he began to pant painfully. His body immediately started to ache from soreness as energy left his body. Even the gauntlet on his arm disappeared into blue particles.

"Damn…what the hell is happening to me?" Issei asked himself.

He struggled to get up but with every attempt, his body burned and he immediately shook before sinking back into the ground in exhaustion.

"So, Raynare failed…" A new voice came out of the shadows as 3 individuals glided down from the sky.

They each had the same black wings that Raynare had. One was a man with a fedora and a trenchcoat. Another person was tall and busty woman with dark blue hair and golden eyes. The last person was a petite girl with frisky blonde hair in twintails and was dressed in a gothic Lolita fashion.

"Now what?" Issei cursed.

"The brat proved stronger than expected. Oh well, we'll have to finish the job that Raynare-sama started." The tall woman sighed.

The three formed spears of light in their hands and zeroed in on their weakened prey.

Forcing all of his will into power, Issei's gauntlet materialized again, re-energizing him slightly. He side-stepped the first Fallen Angel and ducked below the second one, punching him in the jaw with his left arm as the man glided over him.

Whirling around, he backhanded the third enemy, roughly hitting the Lolita square across the face, sending her skidding across the ground, tearing apart the stone as she rolled.

The Man in the fedora charged again, lunging with his spear and stabbing forward. Issei jumped back and delivered 4 jabs, 2 of them slammed into his face while another 2 were uppercuts into his stomach. The Man in the fedora staggered as the damaging aura around Issei's fists did more harm than anticipated. Coughing up blood, Issei tried to do what he did earlier against Raynare but this time, he merely blasted a pulse of black energy that slammed the Man in the Fedora into the air, though the attack was still painful and disorienting.

When the tall woman threw a spear at him, Issei raised his right arm, blocking the spear with his gauntlet. Jumping into the air, he kicked her in the face, but was blocked by her hand. With his other leg still free, he continued his attack, catching her off guard as she sank to the ground for a brief moment.

The Gothic Lolita attacked once again, throwing two spears. Issei ducked under one and barely caught the other with his gauntlet. However, he felt a sharp kick to his lower back, turning around, he found that the Tall Woman had gotten back up.

He tried to shrug off the sharp pain, but found that his body was too tired to keep up with his demands. He had to get away somehow. However, that wouldn't be possible with 3 enemies circling around him.

They each threw a spear at him, stabbing his left leg, cutting his right shoulder, and grazing his left forearm, as he tried to guard.

Dropping to one knee in exhaustion, Issei was left a panting mess of sweat and blood.

Suddenly, a blue light shimmered in the sky. Issei looked up and saw a woman's figure silhouetted by the moonlight. Blue wings of light shined from the woman's back as blue eyes peered down calmly.

"Who goes there?!" The man in the fedora asked, pointing his spear at her.

Within an instant, she disappeared from sight. Suddenly, with a loud crash, Issei's eyes snapped in front of him. He was only able to blurs as the woman attacked the three people on front of him. With violent strikes, the light-winged woman flew back into the air. She stretched her hand forth and a female voice called out.

"[_**Divide!**_]"

Instantly, energy zipped away from the bodies of the three Fallen Angels and went to the woman with wings of light.

Opening her palm, the newcomer created an orb of blue light before throwing it at the Fallen Angels. An explosion roared in front of Issei as wind smacked into his face while rubble scattered into the air.

When the light dissolved, only a crater remained where the 3 hostiles once stood.

Issei looked up once more as the mysterious woman kneeled in front of him. When he was finally able to focus and shake out of his exhaustion, he recognized the woman to be Validia.

"V…Validia?!" He asked.

"Shhh. For now, rest." She gently spoke to him as Issei immediately felt sleep encroach him, his mind not even trying to organize what was going on, instead succumbing to his exhaustion.

* * *

Darkness shrouded his consciousness before he awoke. He found himself in an unfamiliar place. For starters, he was sleeping in a king-sized bed with a canopy. Second, the room was 4 times bigger than his real one.

"Where am I?" Issei wondered out loud.

"You're at one of my family's health centers. Don't worry, you're safe." A familiar female voice answered. It was calm but soothing, hence why Issei felt no alarm.

He looked up as his vision focused. He blinked several times and looked as Validia sat across from his position on the bed. She was dressed in a white jacket, a blue shirt, and a white skirt with black boots.

"Validia-san?" Issei looked at her quizzically.

"Hello, Issei-kun. How are you feeling now?" She asked.

"Unbelievably tired. Tell me, why was I attacked? Where am I? Who were those people?" He asked urgently. A million things were running through his mind. Why had those black-winged angels attacked him? How did he know how to fight like that?

From the moment, the red gauntlet appeared on his arm, memories and knowledge of battle had flooded into his mind, making his body move on its own. It seriously freaked him out.

Validia sighed.

"For starters, I'll tell you now that the mythologies of the world are real. Biblical myth, Norse myth, Greek myth, every single religious myth and folklore in the world is real. The ones who attacked you yesterday were Fallen Angels: Angels who have fallen from grace due to either being born from Fallen Angels or having committed a grievous deed. They attacked you last night because they were from a rogue group that saw you as a threat."

That helped pull out some memories from Issei's subconscious, jarring some recollections.

"So what's a Sacred Gear?" He asked a new question, recalling what Raynare said to him.

"It's a unique object that was planted into random human souls by the Biblical God. It's a tool of limitless possibilities and usually comes in the form of weapons. They vary in function and appearance. However, there is a particular set of Sacred Gears that are far more powerful than most others. They're called Longinus-Class Sacred Gears. My guess is, those rogue Fallen Angels thought that you had a Longinus and attacked you." Vali concluded.

"And why would they do that?" Issei scoffed.

"Fallen Angels have been at war with Devils and Angels for centuries. I'm sure you're aware of that kind of tale. Those three races are currently at a ceasefire after the last great war."

Issei nodded in confirmation.

"They were afraid that you'd probably be recruited by either the Angels or Devils and aimed to kill you off. However, I'm going to tell you now that not all Fallen Angels are evil. The 4 that attacked you were from a rogue cell. So, don't harshly judge Fallen Angels from that." Validia implored.

"Is that what you have? Those shining wings are Sacred Gears too?" Issei asked.

Too? Did this mean what Validia feared? She had only arrived Issei's Sacred Gear had disappeared so she hadn't managed to see it for herself. However, she was aware of the damage that he had done to the terrain before she arrived.

"Yes. My wings of light, the [Divine Dividing], is a Longinus. Longinus have the potential to kill deities if maximized to their fullest capacity." Validia confirmed.

Issei paused. He was a bit skeptic about that at first. Something that allowed people to kill deities. That seemed to be out of this world. Was there anything that rose above a deity?

"So what exactly are you?" Issei knew better but he had to ask.

Validia remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"I'm half-human, half-Devil on my father's side. I'm a descendant of Lucifer from Biblical tales." Validia elaborated.

"I see. So, what is this?" Issei asked as he stretched his right arm forward.

He closed his eyes and tried to think back on the navy gauntlet that had indirectly saved his life. He felt something wrap around his arm and looked to see that the gauntlet had materialized. To be honest, he didn't know why he knew how to summon it, as he moved solely on instinctive thought.

Validia stared at it in shock, standing up from her chair and taking a closer look.

"I've never seen this one before." She spoke, though she sounded relieved, even sighing.

"Is it bad?" Issei asked, fearful of what he might hear.

"I don't know." Vali shook her head.

Vali wrinkled her nose in discomfort and conflict, but she finally sighed.

"To be honest, I suspected that you had the Boosted Gear. It has the power to double your power every 10 seconds. It takes the form of a red gauntlet with an emerald jewel. Sealed within it, is the Red Dragon of Domination, Draig, the Welsh Dragon. In their original lifetimes, Draig and Albion were fighting for who knows what. Their rampaging caused the Three Factions to ally together to destroy their bodies, with the Lord sealing their souls into our Sacred Gears. Since then, our predecessors have been fighting in a constant and endless battle. However, I have no interest in that pointless bloodbath. Still, I'm a little grateful that you don't have that Sacred Gear." Vali stated, making herself very clear but she tried to sound soothing at the same time.

Issei didn't understand everything that Vali was talking about, but his mind was in the works of digesting all this information. He was still stuck on the fact that myth was real.

'_So every single myth in the world is real? Alright_.'

After what Issei experienced the previous night, he couldn't deny what Vali told him. Now what was he supposed to do?

"So what now?" He asked.

"You're free to leave once you're well enough to move normally. However, there are 2 people that want to meet you." She prompted.

The door opened, as if signaled, revealing two men. One had blonde hair mopped on top of black hair. He was tall and looked like a handsome middle-aged man. He wore a grey suit with a dark blue shirt.

The other was tall too, but he had silver hair waving upwards, with pale blue eyes and a beard sprouting from his chin. He was dressed in a white suit with a black shirt.

"This is Azazel and the man next to him is my grandfather, Rizevim." Vali casually introduced them.

"How do you do? Vali has told us all about you." Rizevim smiled gently.

He seemed intimidating but the presence that he radiated was rather jolly.

"It looks like you're doing pretty well. Sorry about what happened last night. Those Fallen Angels were a part of my faction but they moved on their own. If there's anything you want, just ask away." Azazel jovially spoke but his eyes told a different story. They looked genuinely regretful.

Issei knew not to be fooled by their normal appearances. Now that he was aware of the supernatural, his senses warned him to never engage these two opponents. Ever. Watching his words carefully, Issei responded.

"I understand. Thank you."

"On to the next topic. What do you plan to do now?" Vali interceded.

Issei sat still, almost as he turned into a statue, before answering.

"I'll see how things go from here on."

He didn't know what recent events would do to his life but all he could do was prepare to find out. He just hoped he'd live long enough to do so.

* * *

_**Surprised that I made Rizevim appear without a villainous entrance? I wanted to finally make a story where he wasn't the villain, and this was my chance. I also want to say that Issei does not have the Boosted Gear. Instead, someone else will have it. What Issei has is something that I'm going to leave a mystery so you'll have to wait to find out what exactly is inside of it.**_

_**(Shameless Self-promotion) FYI: I've also gotten a RWBY story started, so if you like RWBY and you like my writing, then please check it out. Tell me what you think about it, like what you think needs improving and what's working out. All of my growth has come from reviewers, so I'd like to continue growing with your help. It's called "The Blank Slate", if you're interested. I know some readers don't go onto a writer's profile page, so I'll announce it here.**_


	2. Chapter 2: A Step Into A New World

_**I'm going to be honest and say that Asia won't be in this story. I don't hate her or anything but she just didn't seem to take much of a role in this story when I was planning it. Think what you will, she's not someone that I have use for in the story.**_

_**With that said, I will be creating OC characters for the purposes of this story, whenever I deem it necessary, if at all, though I'll try to control myself.**_

_**Also, I want to thank everyone's support for the kick-start for this story. It means a lot that you all were interested in it since I was very worried about how this would turn out.**_

* * *

**Chapter 2: A Step into a New World**

Due to his injuries healing slowly, Issei was forced to stay at the medical facility that Vali's family owned. Not only that, but Issei's entire body had been undergoing painful spasms while suffering severe headaches. It was almost unbearable. It felt like his body was reshaping itself by tearing itself apart and then putting itself back together on a molecular level.

He was also experiencing strange dreams that he didn't understand. He'd see images of battles in different eras and see creatures that he never even knew existed.

In the meantime, Azazel had also been doing research into Issei's Sacred Gear, as he had never seen anything like it.

While spending his days simply doing nothing inside of his room, Vali would visit Issei and bring him notes from school. She was his only company during this time, as nobody else really knew of what was going on with him.

One day, while Vali was out, Rizevim came to check on him.

"How are you feeling today?"

"Fine. Thank you for asking." Issei gave the man a courteous nod.

"It's no problem. It's mainly our fault for letting you fall into this mess. Beside that point, I wanted to talk to you." Rizevim sat down in an empty chair.

"About?"

"About Vali. How does she behave around you?" The grandfather asked jovially.

"Well, most of the time, she's pretty calm and composed. When we first met, she seemed to maintain her distance from everybody but after we started talking, she's become much friendlier, even cheerful." Issei recounted.

"I see." Rizevim made a satisfied smirk.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nope. On to the next question. What do you think about Vali, now that you know that she's not fully human, or humanly normal?" Rizevim pressed on.

Giving his answer some thought, Issei responded.

"I don't really think differently of her. She's still treating me the same as always, and she's the one that saved me. I can't be more grateful to her. To me, she's the first real friend that I've had in a very long time. I don't think anything would change that."

Satisfied with his answer, Rizevim smiled to himself.

"I see. That's good, then. If that is the case, then I must ask that you continue being her friend. You see, Vali's had a pretty bad past. She never had anyone there for her until I took her under my wing. When she first came to Kuoh Academy, she told me that she felt out of place at such a normal setting. However, as weeks and months went by, she became happier. I believe that can be attributed to you. She talks about you in a happy way, so as her grandfather, I can't be more relieved. So, I thank you for being one of her few friends." Rizevim bowed before leaving.

* * *

When Issei was allowed to go home, he was amazed at the structure that he exited. It was white marble and looked like a palace. Multiple floors stood on top of each other, with balconies protruding at several floors. Solid black gates stood guard several feet from the front door and the front gardens.

He had been offered a ride home but declined. He needed to walk these recent events off. He was still human but not in the sense that he was used to. He was stronger and faster than ever before. Perhaps Super-human was a better word to describe him.

He also now had new thoughts of danger dogging him. Would he have to watch his back 24/7 now? Now, he could even tell if a mosquito was flying around him. Hence, he felt himself grow suspicious to the things around him.

When Issei reached home, he immediately went to sleep, having called school that he was sick. He was sore and tired. All he wanted now was rest and maybe a big hearty meal later.

* * *

The next day, he went to school, but found that he was more groggy than usual. During break, he went to the rooftop for a short nap, closing his eyes and dozing off.

He found himself in darkness, not seeing anything nor feeling anything. Suddenly, an image blurred to life in front of his eyes, as if he were watching a movie.

He found a figure wearing black armor standing in front of a shadow with multiple glowing red eyes. The Black Warrior was covered in a navy aura with black sparks flickering around him.

The Shadow wailed a roar that would've cracked the entire world. It sounded like a legion of souls crying out at once.

The Black Warrior flew at the Shadow but was backed by a white entity that radiated so much light that it illuminated everything around itself. With a bright and violent crash, Issei was shaken out of his dream and shot up from his bed.

He gripped his forehead because of the migraine pulsing there and felt so much sweat pouring off him that he thought somebody poured water over him.

'What was that?' He asked himself.

Whatever the case, it wasn't something Issei was too eager to think about. There was no point when he didn't have any info to work with.

"Still, that armor…it looks so reminiscent." Issei mused.

He grumbled as he knew that his mind would occupy itself with thoughts of it but he knew that no answers were going to come since he knew nobody that had an explanation.

For now, it was better to try and sleep. Perhaps he'd think of something tomorrow.

* * *

The next day, he went to school and failed to notice the two people watching him.

Validia was observing him from a window alongside Rias Gremory, a buxom crimson-haired lady.

"So that's the one that you've been talking about, Vali?" Rias spoke some interest.

"Yeah. He's a Sacred Gear holder." The Hakuryuukou replied, almost flatly.

Rias had wondered about why her old friend had seemed so fixated on him for the past few days. Vali was shy and rather distant with strangers, but when she was with friends and family, she was bright and cheerful.

"Are you planning on reincarnating him?" Rias looked at her with a smirk.

"I don't know. I'd rather not." Vali sighed.

"Why?"

"I want him to make his own choice instead of me walking up to him to try and convince him to join my Peerage. If anything, I don't want him to lose his peaceful life because I invited him to something that may only hurt him. Besides, I already have members so I won't be greedy."

With that said, the matter with reincarnating Issei was laid to rest…for now.

"Ara ara. Ufufufu. Could it be that perhaps you like him?" Akeno Himejima chuckled from the back of the room. She noticed the attachment that was already developing between the two.

Vali sighed.

"No, I don't." She dismissed the notion.

"Still, why didn't we ever notice?" Sona Sitri walked into the room.

She had a short bowl-cut hairstyle with a hairpin clipped to her bangs. She was noticeably cold when it came to expressions.

"Perhaps he hid it?" Rias mused.

"No. I can tell he didn't. I think we were just too inattentive with him. The way he reacted to his Sacred Gear was almost similar to how I reacted to my own." Vali refuted.

Nobody challenged her claims as they knew the story behind it.

Issei made his way to class and sat down next to Vali. They greeted each other like normal, but Vali noticed that he wasn't as positive as usual. It was a given. His world had been changed within the span of two nights.

That seemed to depict things perfectly for Issei. When he entered the campus, his sense picked up, with his brain telling him that there were no less than 14 supernatural entities on the grounds and the number was increasing.

It was an odd sensation to him. His mind just snapped to alert and just _told_ him, giving him sudden knowledge about the types of beings that were around him.

Vali saw his troubled expression and was about to touch his shoulder but she hesitated, retracting her hand. She felt terrible. If she had gotten to where Issei was in time, he wouldn't be struggling with his own existence and identity. He had been her friend and yet she had failed to do much for him.

Issei noticed the motion she was making and looked at her quizzically.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"How are you holding up?" She questioned.

"Okay, I guess. I'm just trying to adjust." He whispered so that only she would hear.

At that moment, she decided that perhaps it was best if she give him more information.

"Come with me to lunch. I'll talk a bit more then." She informed him.

* * *

When the time came, the two sat on the rooftop.

"So, I already gave you the rundown about the background of my particular supernatural world. However, today, I wanted to talk to you about the kinds of steps that you plan to take. I want you to know that no matter what happens, you can always talk to me about whatever it is that bothers you. If you ever need help, then don't hesitate to contact me." Vali clarified.

"I know. Thank you, Validia-san." Issei nodded, understanding her attempts to show reliability. He placed much stock into that.

"From now on, you need to take special care about how you do things. First and foremost, you shouldn't speak to others about this, obviously. Second, others will most likely sense who you are now that you're aware of your own powers. When awakening powers like a Sacred Gear, supernatural entities tend to notice us more easily." Vali sat down next to Issei as she explained.

"I understand. Still, I never expected you to be a princess of the underworld." Issei chuckled.

He had read and heard of how Devils were evil, but he wasn't too sure of that claim, anyways.

Validia smiled wryly.

"I guess. However, that isn't really the case for me. My grandfather willingly rescinded control of the Underworld to our current government, which is like a board of leaders who replaced the Devils that they're titled after. The old ways weren't something that Grandpa was fond of, so he shrugged it off for a more free life after a new system was proposed. Now, he just spends his days trying to stabilize life for the people affected by the Great War from any part of the world."

"You sound discontent." Issei remarked.

"It's just that no matter where I go, people see me as some kind of princess. Even here, people gawk at me like some kind of zoo animal." She sadly scoffed.

"Well then, you make a very friendly one. Of course, in that case, I'm just the sasquatch that everybody ignores." Issei joked, hoping to lighten her mood.

"Hahaha. You're certainly not a hairy one, then." She giggled.

"Yeah. I shaved and escaped."

The two joked around for the rest of lunch. How long had it been since they had managed to spend some time together? Issei relished the moment as he was sure that solitude would strike him again in some unsuspecting way. It always happened.

Vali, on the other hand, was surprised that he still wanted to speak with her. She had basically told him that she was half-Devil, who was descended from the most notorious one of all time. What human in their own sane mind would do that?

She had done this a few times before and others always shrunk away from her. Issei had been the first in a long time not to run from her in fear. That was certainly refreshing for her.

When the day ended, Issei returned home, eager to quickly finish homework. His week had been hectic and long. He now wanted to get everything out of the way so that nothing would distract him from digesting what was happening to him.

Stretching his right arm forward, the Navy Gauntlet materialized in blue wisps of energy.

"Just how and why do I have this?" Issei mused.

* * *

The next day, Issei was surprised to see Vali waiting outside of his house, alongside Azazel. He never remembered inviting her nor did he ever give her his address. Opening the door, he them greeted casually.

Even when she was in uniform, Vali was exceptionally beautiful. However, now she seemed even more so. She was wearing a black jacket, a red t-shirt, a black skirt, and black boots with stockings of the same color. She looked like a supermodel in this attire, given the brand clothing and her unmatched figure.

"Hey, Validia-san. How'd you know where I lived?"

"I pass by all the time on the way home. We wanted to talk to you about something private. It's about your Sacred Gear."

Inviting them inside, Issei prepared tea as they sat in his Living Room.

"Azazel and my grandfather have narrowed down what your Sacred Gear is, if you're interested in knowing. I'd rather not speak about this at school, though. Who knows what could happen if we were overheard." Vali explained.

Issei grew nervous at this. Did he have something fearsome ore terrifying?

"I had to dig through lots of texts and forbidden information. I even had to go to Michael, the Archangel, to get information. Apparently, your Sacred Gear is called the Calamity Catalyst, which is automatically classified as a Longinus, possibly top-tier if not mid-tier. It hosts the most powerful dragon that could ever exist: Bahamut, who is known as the Abyssal Dragon of Calamity."

This was surprising, Issei had never anticipated he'd have something like that. He didn't seem all that powerful, when he thought about Bahamut's title.

"Bahamut was known as an unruly dragon, who destroyed those who enraged him unjustly. He was known as an avenger. He had a hand in terraforming the world to be suitable for all life in this world, cooperating with the Lord to help him make it. He hated people who caused chaos for no reason, as he highly valued innocent life. It was for that reason that he went on a rampage once. During a great war between all mythologies, each pantheon ended up causing severe casualties for innocent bystanders. Blinded by fury, he attacked everyone after his rage consumed him. He ended up destroying the galaxy in the process, thus, he forced the Lord to seal him into a Longinus Set."

Issei looked at his right arm in shock.

"Your right arm only holds one of piece of the set, which has a total of 6. However, that's not all. According to the data that I've found, you seem to have 2 pieces of the set. The other piece is the most important one of all. You've got the spiritual essence of Bahamut in your soul. When you were brought to the Lucieln Facilities, I scanned you and found anomalies in your soul. It contained massive energy surges so I did some digging. That explains why you were having painful spasms. It's because your body was adjusting to the massive power that you had unleashed. By doing so, you can actually handle the strain of your new powers." Azazel explained.

When Validia saw Issei's disturbed expression, she called out to him.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"I don't know." He honestly responded.

"For now, lay low and act as if nothing's changed. Others will try to make use of you if they learn about you." Azazel warned.

"I understand."

"Well, I need to go now. I still need to investigate the matter about the rogue Fallen Angels." Azazel stood up with a wary expression.

"Should I come with you?" Validia offered.

"No need. You stay here with Hyoudou-kun. I'm pretty sure hearing all of this is just too shocking to take in. Besides, you may be able to help him a bit further."

With that said, Vali and Issei were left alone. It seemed like hours had passed by until Issei spoke.

"So, Validia-san, can I ask you a favor?" The young man asked, hesitant.

"Anything." Validia nodded.

"Can you help me get stronger?" Issei looked at her with a very serious look.

Surprised, Validia wondered why, until it dawned on her that it was because he had such a terrifying power, that Issei wanted to become strong enough to control it.

"If what you and Azazel say is true, then I have to get stronger so that I can protect myself. I need to learn how to use my powers if others are going to come after me for it." Issei looked down at his right fist.

"Alright." Validia nodded.

* * *

The next day, Issei was taken to Validia's estate, where it would be safe for them to train. He was standing in a room that looked like a forest, which was magically simulated to mimic a real environment.

"Given the new information we've just learned, we'll start by increasing your physical abilities." Validia stated.

Issei was starting to regret his decision to become stronger when he began taking part in Vali's training course.

He had to do 50 push-ups, 5 laps around the estate, 25 pull-ups, and weight training. When he was done, he was drenched in sweat. He wasn't exactly out of shape, but he wasn't too fit either. The sad part was that he had only just done the warm up.

When Validia did it with him, she didn't even break a sweat. The next part was the hard part. He had to do everything again, but he was forced to wear weights and the number of exercises was doubled.

By the end of it all, Issei felt like he had become the physical representation of the word 'sore'.

"Here."

Validia handed Issei a large bottle of water as he rested against a wall, feeling too exhausted to move.

"You…do…this…thing…every…day?!" He spoke in between pants.

"Almost. Besides, that's not the hard part. What's next is the more difficult part of your day." Validia gave him a plain look.

"I'm scared to know what." He drearily groaned.

"You're going to learn martial arts." She chuckled.

For the next 2 hours, Issei began to train, enduring grueling training from Validia, who proved to be kind but also strict. By the end of the day, he had several bruises and burning muscles and aching limbs. However, he didn't complain. In the long run, this would only help him on his road to survival, and hopefully, help him reach his goal of learning about his Sacred Gear.

"How's the training going? Did Vali make you do the time-attack yet?" Azazel walked in, grinning.

"No." Vali smirked. She had been planning on it.

"Well, in any case, this'll help you because I managed to discover some ancient tablets left behind on Earth." Azazel took out a stone rectangle while wearing a merry expression.

"This baby right here lists and tells about several Longinus Sacred Gear. As a scientist and researcher, I couldn't be happier. You'll also be glad to know that I've discovered what your particular pieces of the Calamity Catalyst can do." Azazel grinned like a child who had just gotten what he wanted all his life.

This immediately caught Issei's attention.

"Your right gauntlet, the 'Abyssal Fury' is a brawling type of Sacred Gear. It amplifies all of your physical abilities to extreme levels. You'll run faster than a cheetah and hit harder than a stampede of mammoths. Not only that, but it also gives you the power to use magic and energy. You got the lucky one out of the set." Azazel chuckled at Issei's luck.

"The 2nd piece of the set, the 'Soul of the Abyssal Dragon' gives you heightened senses, a discerning eye, higher mental abilities, and fortifies your magical and physical defenses. If a plane were to drop on you, you'd be fine. Of course, the power of your Sacred Gears only amount to the level of strength that you have. Their full potential can only be brought out if all pieces are obtained."

Validia looked at Issei, slightly worried about him. She had come to learn that he was a calm person, but he also deeply valued his lifestyle.

"If that's the case, then I'd better keep going." Issei declared with renewed vigor.

"Not a good idea. You're already exhausted and you've been training for the past 12 hours with only one short break. I think that's enough for today." Validia objected.

Already indebted to her, Issei chose not to argue, though he sighed, having lost the fight.

"Okay, fine. Thank you for today. I'll see you at school tomorrow." Issei bowed to Validia before leaving with a smile.

After he left, Azazel and Validia began to talk.

"What else did that tablet say?" She asked, worried about her friend.

"Besides what I told you, there's only an extra tidbit of information. Apparently, no one has ever assembled all pieces of the Sacred Gear set and not only that, without obtaining every part of the armor, the Balance Breaker remains locked. Also, I found historical texts suggesting that Bahamut has never formed sentience while sealed inside the Sacred Gear." The Fallen Angel Governor noted.

While Issei was walking home, he passed by the industrial area of Kuoh, where several old buildings were, many of which, were abandoned due to several businesses getting closed down. To be honest, it was a little unsettling, but Issei ignored it.

As he walked by an abandoned warehouse, Issei heard loud crashes and light flashing from within. He knew better to get involved, as he wasn't strong enough to protect himself yet, however, he couldn't ignore the matter if someone helpless was being attacked. Walking slowly toward the building, he was shocked by what he saw.

Rias Gremory and several students from Kuoh were fighting some kind of monster. It had three horns, fanged teeth, bladed limbs for arms and lion-like legs.

He took a closer look and realized that the other students were from the Occult Research Club.

There was the raven-haired Yamato Nadeshiko: Himejima Akeno, who was firing bolts of yellow thunder, which boomed and electrocuted the Stray Devil they were executing.

The blonde 'Prince of Kuoh', Kiba Yuuto, who disappeared from sight, vanishing into a blur before reappearing behind the Stray as blood gushed out of a deep laceration on the monster's chest.

The Mascot of Kuoh, Toujou Koneko, moved in and punched it away to the side as it tried to whip around and attack Kiba. Issei was a bit alarmed at her absurd strength, which was equivalent to someone who should be several dozens of times larger than her.

"Since you have strayed from the proper path and have used your master's power for sinful gain, along with devouring bystanders, I, Rias Gremory, sentence you to death." The crimson-haired ORC president created a surge of black and red magic in her palm before blasting the Stray into ashes.

Issei was honestly surprised by what just happened, his mouth slightly agape. Suddenly, Rias turned to his direction, causing him to jump in surprise.

"Come out! I know you're there!" She demanded.

When he walked out of the shadows, Issei gave everyone a sheepish look, followed by an embarrassed chuckle.

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping." He awkwardly apologized.

Rias was a bit alarmed at his somewhat random appearance.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was slightly calmer, though there was unchanging caution in it.

"I was coming home from Validia-san's place and I noticed the commotion."

Rias recalled how Vali had told her that Issei had a supernatural encounter, which had awakened his Sacred Gear, though what it was or what it could do, remained unknown.

Contacting Vali to confirm matters, Rias relented when Issei's story made plausible sense.

"I understand, you may leave. However, I advise for you to refrain from talking about this to others, Hyoudou Issei-kun." She warned lightly.

Giving an understanding nod, Issei returned home.

* * *

The next day, Issei was tapped on the shoulder by Vali, who gave him a worried look.

"Rias told me about what happened last night. What were you doing there?" She demanded.

When she received the call last night, she had been surprised at him being there. It worried her when she thought that he had been hurt or something.

"I was walking home and I noticed what was happening. I heard screams and yells so I just had to check it out." Issei sheepishly tried to make an excuse.

Validia made an exasperated look.

"Well, based on what you did, you need to accompany me afterschool."

Unfortunately, the entire class had been listening in on their conversation, though they only distinctly heard that last sentence. Several cries of surprise were made as many crowded around the two.

Issei made a disgusted sigh,

'_Who came up with the idea of school idols?_'

"Validia-san, is it true?"

"Are you going on a date?!"

"Please no!"

Validia sprouted a tic mark on her forehead. This was getting old.

"I'm only asking for Issei-kun to come with me to the ORC Clubroom. There is nothing for you all to get into."

Issei backed away a little. He could tell that she was starting to get impatient.

After school, the two arrived at the ORC Clubroom. It felt kind of awkward for Issei since he had never been here before and he never had much interest for the place. Walking through the doors, Issei saw the entire ORC waiting for him.

"Welcome, Hyoudou Issei-kun. Please have a seat." Rias gestured to one of the sofas in the room.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked.

"Not really. However, now that you know what we are, there are matters that must be dealt with."

This unsettled Issei. Were they going to threaten him or hurt him?

"I believe that you know that all mythologies are real, correct?"

Issei only nodded.

"Addressing the main issue, we are all devils. The Student Council and the ORC are of the same species."

To emphasize this point, everyone sprouted black leathery wings from their backs.

"As for what you saw yesterday, we were merely executing a Stray devil, someone who has mutated due to being unable to control the power of the Evil Piece within them. Those who become Stray devils often rebel and escape their masters and are marked for death before they become a threat." Rias explained.

"What are Evil Pieces?"

Validia held up a crystal chess piece that was red.

"Evil Pieces are chess pieces that have the power to reincarnate or bring someone under the affiliation of a High-Class devil, making them a servant or associate. Underworld Society for devils is built upon a hierarchy of Ultimate, High, Mid, and Low-class devils. High-Class and Ultimate-Class devils are given Evil Pieces to reincarnate other beings so as to prevent devils from dying out after the Great War."

"So everyone here has an Evil Piece, then?"

"Everyone except for you, Vali, and me. Kings of an Evil Piece Peerage do not have a chess piece inside of them. They merely act as leaders."

This explained why Issei detected so many supernatural entities the other day. Several people within the school weren't human.

"Thus, we are brought to this point. As the one with ownership of the Kuoh area, it's my duty to make sure that nothing bad happens to my area. So, I'll ask you, what do you plan to do?" Rias gave him a compelling look, hoping for an answer.

To be honest, Issei only had one thing on his mind.

"I merely want to survive and continue living my life so that I can find out why I have this thing." Issei looked at his right arm.

Ever since he obtained it, he felt everything become so wrong and incomplete. The desire for his purpose and knowledge was bothering him to no end.

"And what would you do to obtain that knowledge?"

"I wouldn't do anything extreme, but to be honest, I'm not exactly sure of how to get information on it." Issei confessed.

It was a short-sighted goal, but at least he had one.

"I can vouch for that." Validia promised.

"Well, to be honest, you're the one with the largest say here. What happens with him, is really up to you." Rias relented.

As the heir to the Lucifer name, Validia had the most weight when it came to decisions.

"Then, Validia-san, what class are you?" Issei turned to his friend.

"I'm a High-Class devil." Validia admitted, materializing her Evil Pieces.

"Do you have any Peerage members?"

"I do. However, they're currently elsewhere." She ambiguously replied.

"So you mentioned that Evil Pieces will turn people into devils?" Issei asked, slightly alarmed. That must be a hard decision to make.

"Not always. The Evil Pieces can certainly do that, but that's only if the person has died. If Evil Pieces are inserted into a living person, they merely designate them as a member of a High-Class devil's household. An employee, if you will." Validia answered.

This was interesting to Issei, though staking his humanity was something that he'd prefer not to risk.

"For the time being, I would like to ask that you refrain from doing anything unnecessary, because if you create havoc, appropriate punishments that are proportional to your acts will be executed." Rias warned, though it seemed more hesitant and friendly, rather than threatening.

"I understand. I swear to avoid creating trouble." Issei nodded. It wasn't like he would want to do such a thing, anyways.

Satisfied with that, Rias' demeanor changed.

"Now that that's out of the way, how about some tea and cakes?" She smiled.

Akeno put several trays on the table that had plates of tea cakes, cookies, tarts, and cups accompanied by western tea.

"Validia and I knew each other since we were kids, so when she told us about you, I wanted to meet you." Rias chirped.

Validia gave her an exasperated look, not believing that she was trying to tease her.

"I see." Issei made a passive comment, with Rias' implication flying over his head.

"So, if I may ask, how did you and Validia-san meet?"

"My father and Rizevim-sama were meeting for business and they brought us along. After playing and getting to know each other, we became friends." Rias concisely summarized.

"You wouldn't believe how Rias was back then. She was all play and no work and she'd throw temper tantrums." Validia smirked, trying to get back at her friend.

"And Vali was a cry-baby. If I so much as raised my voice too loudly, she'd start stuttering while tearing up." Rias fired back.

Issei chuckled a bit. He imagined a child Validia from Rias' description and compared it to her current self. The contrast was just so unbelievable that it was funny. He couldn't help but crack a small chuckle.

Validia looked at him indignantly.

"Not you too." She sighed.

"Sorry. I can't help it." Issei continued to chuckle.

When Issei and Vali were walking to her limo, she opened the door, waiting outside.

"Go on and get in. I'll send you home." She smiled.

"You sure? I can just walk home."

"It's fine. I always go in that direction, anyway." She shook her head.

After dropping him off, Validia waved him goodbye before leaving. Issei entered his home and changed into more comfortable clothes. Suddenly, he felt chills go up his spine. He believed that his instincts were telling him that trouble was coming.

He looked up and saw light flying at him. It blew apart the glass in his window and made a hole in the floor. Dodge rolling to the side, Issei returned fire, blasting a ray of blue energy that struck at the person that attacked him.

Before anything else could happen, several magic circles appeared around Issei's house as Fallen Angels appeared, materializing in white light. He grit his teeth as he smashed his way out of his house by punching through a wall. He didn't know why, but he just felt that it was a good idea.

He ran out onto the road and was faced by no less than 10 Fallen Angels. This was not something he was ready for. Yet, something else happened. Much to his shock, a familiar white limo rammed into the group of Fallen Angels before grinding to a halt.

Vali looked out of the windshield and saw a massive creature glaring at them. A loud screeching roar was heard as the glass in the limo cracked.

Vali merely grimaced at what was in front of them.

"Of all things, it just had to be you all." She sighed.

A group of Fallen Angels wearing black armor, carrying spears with red blades descended to the ground, glaring at Vali.

"Princess Validia, we would like for you to come with us."

"And if I refuse?" She raised a brow.

"Then that servant of yours will die." One of them threatened.

"Not happening." Validia narrowed her eyes.

"Then enough talk."

The Fallen Angels flew into the air and pointed their spears, firing purple beams of magic energy.

Validia grabbed Issei and flew into the air, having summoned her Divine Dividing. Landing a few feet away, she gently let Issei down.

"Hide here while I deal with this." She gave him an apologetic look before zipping back into the sky.

"Who sent you? What do you want with me?" She asked, her tone much more serious, which was reflected by her face.

"You'll find out."

They concentrated their fire on Validia, who merely shielded herself with her wings. Each blast struck a light-blue magic circle, which absorbed each attack. After seeing that she had enough energy, Vali spread her wings, sending out a massive shockwave that sent all of her assailants crashing into the ground. Gathering magic power energy into her hand, she fired off blasts of lightning magic, which surged and connected with each person that it struck before disintegrating them.

Issei watched her every move and was amazed by the ease and finesse she used.

Suddenly, Issei turned around and found that one last Fallen Angel had snuck up behind him. His instincts reacting, Issei raised his right arm, materializing his gauntlet. With a loud clang, the devil was sent flying back by the powerful recoil as his spear exploded into tiny pieces.

Taking this chance, Issei punched him in the gut, causing him to cough out blood from the extreme force. Tumbling and rolling across the ground, Validia sailed through the air before crashing her feet into his body.

"Who sent you?" She questioned him.

"Sh-Sh- "He panted before Validia jumped back.

A pillar of magic erupted underneath him, obliterating the attacker.

Validia looked around but found no one in sight. She couldn't sense anyone either. Whoever it was, they were adept at hiding themselves and obviously didn't want anyone to know about their identity.

Retracting her wings, Validia contacted Rizevim, who soon arrived not long after. Several devils employed by Rizevim began to analyze and clean up the scene, while he talked with his granddaughter.

"So they just attacked you out of the blue to kidnap you? That's not good, though, I'm rather sure of who it is that wanted to capture you." The Super Devil sighed.

"Whoever it is, they've likely marked us as targets already." Validia then looked at Issei.

"Perhaps it would be a good idea for you to come with us." Rizevim suggested. It would leave a bad taste in his mouth if something bad happened to somebody who should've never been involved in the first place.

"That's right. Issei, I'm fairly certain that whoever it is that targeted us, probably knows where you live too. Maybe…you might want to stay with me before we find out what's going on." Validia suggested, though she blushed at how her words sounded.

Issei's cheeks turned slightly pink but he nodded. There didn't seem to be time to think over an answer, since his life was in danger. However, that wasn't really why he agreed.

It was the look in Validia's eyes. It was as if she was pleading for him to go with her. The way her eyes glistened and the way her lips curved into a sad way in a shy and nervous fashion just spoke volumes to him.

"Alright. I'll have to ask that you forgive me for imposing." Issei bowed.

Rizevim only shook his head with a sorry look.

"It's our fault that you got thrown into this. When this is through, go ahead and ask for anything."

With that said, Issei's normal life was finally beginning to die as he descended further into the supernatural world.

* * *

_**Well, I decided to use a different dragon instead of Draig, since I wanted to give him new powers and I also did it to make story events go the way I wanted them to. Bahamut is one of my favorite incarnations of a dragon, even though in mythology, he's actually a fish. That's also why I will tweak so many origins and backgrounds.**_


	3. Chapter 3: The Coming Alliance

_**I'm happy to see that Bahamut being sealed inside Issei's Sacred Gear is being well-received. And to discuss the question of Bahamut's strength, I'll say that he's stronger than both Draig and Albion combined in their prime, though Bahamut wouldn't be going all out to fight them.**_

_**Also, I was asked about why Issei was getting targeted. My answer to that is because Issei is a powerful vessel, so Bahamut's innate strength is instinctively drawing in other beings and he can be seen as a grave future threat, so others would prefer to remove him rather than risk him joining others or recruiting him and then revolting.**_

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Coming Alliance**

Issei and his family weren't poor, that was much was certain. However, he was never prepared to see the ginormous manor that was finally peeking out from the distance. After getting into Vali's limo and agreeing to stay with her family for his own safety, Issei was taken here.

The manor was white and black, contained 10 floors, a large outdoor garden, a track field, a pool, a greenhouse, a forest, and a pavilion. There were even outer gates and stairs leading to the main doorway.

"I've already arranged for the retrieval of your belongings and the important objects that you named. We'll have it here in a few short hours." Rizevim stopped the car outside, though he didn't get out.

"I have matters to discuss with Azazel. I'll leave you two here." He then turned to Vali.

"Vali, make sure Issei is comfortable here. I don't think I'll be home for dinner, though, so go ahead and eat without me." He gave her an apologetic nod.

Vali nodded with an understanding smile.

"Shall we go in?" She gestured to the front doors.

Pushing them open, Issei was introduced to a large room that had a hanging chandelier on the ceiling, with two flights of stairs that led to upper floors. Directly in front of him, was a long hallway that led further into the manor.

Lined up, were many maids and butlers, who bowed, welcoming the arrivals.

"Welcome home, Lady Vali."

"I'm back." She smiled at everyone before turning and gesturing to Issei.

"This is Hyoudou Issei. He'll be living here with us for a while. Please treat him as you would treat me."

Issei felt a little uneasy at the sudden direction, accompanied by the same kind of greeting that Vali had gotten.

Climbing the stairs, Vali showed him to a guest room, which was down the hall from her own room.

"Your belongings will be brought here within a day, so for now, the room will look a little bare. If there's anything you need, go ahead and ask me or anyone here." She informed him.

Issei entered the room and was surprised to see that the room was very large, if anything, it seemed overdone. There was a canopied bed with blue sheets, a large Smart TV hung on the wall, a desk, a table with chairs around it, a bathroom installed next door, a large closet, a balcony, and even a small fridge.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but Grandpa goes overboard sometimes." Vali sheepishly remarked, understanding what he was thinking.

"Lady Vali, dinner is ready. Please come to the Dining Room." A maid announced.

Dinner was rather extravagant. Platters of steak, bowls of salad, foie gras, filet mignon, smoked salmon, buttered rolls, and tomato soup were served gourmet style.

"Go ahead and eat as much as you like. There's no need to hold back." Vali urged him to indulge in his appetite.

Putting a polite amount of food on his plate, Issei made sure to eat with proper manners. It was a given, considering the setting he was in.

Issei looked up and was surprised at the amount of food that Vali was eating. Compared to his, she had a mountain on her plate. Sweat-dropping slightly, he quickly averted his gaze to avoid an awkward moment.

"How is it?" She asked.

"It's great."

"That reminds me. Where are your parents?" Vali asked.

"They're out of the country. They do a lot of constant traveling for business, so I rarely see them." Issei remarked.

"It's good that they weren't home, then. Still, I'll have someone check on them, just in case. Do you know where they are, right now?"

"They're currently in Michigan in America, making a deal with the auto industry. I think they're in Detroit right now."

She then turned to a butler, relaying orders to find and ensure the safety of Issei's family.

"I can't thank you enough, Validia-san." Issei bowed his head in gratitude.

"You don't have to keep apologizing. None of this is your fault." Vali shook her head.

"Still…"

"Nope. No more apologies that aren't necessary." She cut him off, giving him a small grin, assuring him that everything was fine.

Later that night, Issei was having trouble sleeping. His mind was wrought with questions. Who was targeting him? Were they really after him or Vali?

The next day, Rizevim came home, with new reports.

"I did some talking with Azazel, and he discovered that Kokabiel is the one who ordered the attack on Issei. Vali, however, was to be captured by a client of his. Apparently, Kokabiel wants another. Grigori is in disarray after Azazel tried to capture him last night."

"Why was I being targeted? Is it because of my Sacred Gear?" Issei asked.

"Without a doubt. A weapon as strong as yours is something that anyone would fear. You may only have one piece of it, but that's more than enough for concern. From now on, and until further notice, I've placed you under our protective custody. You're not strong enough to handle yourself yet. We've also found your parents and are putting them under protection as well. Rest assured, they'll be safe." Rizevim put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"As for Vali, I'm certain that they want to use you for leverage. As Princess of the Underworld, you hold a great deal of morale and power, even if I rescinded control of the government. The two of you need to make sure that you're careful out there." He looked to his granddaughter before leaving the room.

Deciding that this wasn't the time to just stand around and ignore the impending danger, Issei and Vali jumped to training. They both had to become stronger since it was clear that they could be attacked at any moment now.

* * *

For the next month, Issei had been improving his martial arts while learning swordsmanship. It amazed him to learn that Vali was capable of forming a sword out of her demonic power. It felt every bit as solid and sharp as a real one, perhaps even more so.

"Demonic power depends on imagination for use. Thus, it becomes easy to simply form a weapon if you work hard enough." She reasoned.

"What about humans, then?"

"Humans have a lack of sense for the supernatural so it's much harder for them. However, one advantageous trait of humans is their high reserves of potential. Once they awaken powers, they're able to grow at incredible rates that are faster than other races."

However, despite that, Issei was unable to form any weapon out of his own power. Vali guessed that it was because he didn't have enough experience or control over his magic.

Regardless, he showed unbelievable ability with martial arts and swordplay. It wouldn't be out of place to say that Issei was experienced in fighting forms, though his lack of experience was still clear.

Currently, the two were in the Training Room in the Lucieln Estate.

"Alright, Issei-kun. You've been learning everything I know for the past month, so let's see how you do in this sparring match. This time, it's no holds barred except for the ban of Sacred Gears." She smirked.

"Then, let's begin."

The two bowed in respect before assuming their stances.

Vali made the first move, twirling the air before bringing her leg down to kick his shoulder, raising an arm, he blocked the blow. Sweeping his leg up, Vali twirled gracefully in the air before landing on her feet a small distance away.

Issei crouched before gathering touki from within his body and coating himself with it. Dashing forward, tearing stone from the ground as he traveled, and threw a punch at Vali.

Blocking with her arms crossed, Vali slid back before stopping. Relaxing her muscles, Vali smiled, proud of his development. Twirling into the air, she dashed at Issei, landing a kick in his side. Barely moving fast enough to block. Issei condensed Touki in his right arm, managing to stop Vali's kick.

Acrobatically moving over Issei's head, she kicked at his back. Ducking, Issei launched an uppercut, though Vali easily moved to the side. Landing on the ground, she threw a palm strike, though Issei countered with the same move. Kicking at both of his sides sequentially, Vali spun around, aiming at his neck with a knifehand.

Issei was knocked off-balance slightly when the attack connected, though he drew close to the ground, sweeping at her legs before following up with another punch.

The Hakuryuukou caught his fist before flipping backwards, kicking him in the jaw. Luckily, Issei grit his teeth. Landing on the ground on one knee. Issei rushed at her, throwing two punches and a kick.

Blocking each attack, Vali front-flipped, aiming a kick at his head to decide the match. Spinning out of the way, Issei drew back one step before bringing his palms together, strengthening his hands with Touki before striking her with both of his palms in a clawed fashion with both of his hands vertically parallel.

The attack managed to hurt Vali as she tumbled along the ground.

Quickly regaining her footing, Vali grinned.

"Not bad. That one actually hurt quite a bit."

Before Issei could notice, she vanished from sight. Suddenly, he sensed her coming from the right. Launching a dive kick, Vali connected with his chest, sending him flying backwards into a wall, forming a crater.

Pushing off from the ground, Issei sent a blast of magic at her. Swiping it away with her hand covered in demonic power, she closed in on her opponent. The two met blow for blow as the room shook every time their strikes met.

Palms smacked against each other as fists and kicks clashed.

Vali decided to put a twist on her approach and sped up her attacks. Much to her surprise, Issei was matching her speed. It was shocking to see that he would grow this quickly when he was only a normal human about a month ago.

After sending a flurry of punches, Issei jumped slightly off from the ground, kicking three times while spinning in front of her, surprising Vali with his speed and strength. When she blocked with both of her arms, Issei used them to back-flip into the air and drew his arm back, coating it in Touki before punching her clear across the room with a violent boom.

Coughing from the landing, Vali shook of her initial disorientation and stepped back before crouching low to the ground. Issei made the mistake of charging at her, doing exactly as she'd hoped.

Backflipping and boosting her physical attacks with demonic power, she kicked Issei into the air before launching another kick into his chest before spinning kicking with a total of 8 times before landing a knee into his stomach, sending Issei crashing into the ground, decisively ending the sparring match.

Vali jogged over to the cloud of dust and knelt down.

"You ok?"

"Yeah…" Issei groaned.

He crawled off of the ground and winced.

"This is my loss again."

"Well, at least you won 5 matches out of 50." She jabbed a joke at him.

"Hey, it's only been a month."

"Which means a lot." She smiled.

The two heard footsteps and turned to see Azazel and Rizevim walking towards them.

"Well, looks like you two succeeded in messing the place up again." Rizevim made an exasperated sigh.

"No kidding. At least they're getting training in." Azazel chuckled.

"Why don't you let them train at your facility, then?" Rizevim grumbled at his uncle.

"It's not exactly time for that yet. Besides, I'm busy reforming and investigating all of Grigori after Kokabiel went AWOL. It wouldn't be safe to send them there." Azazel threw his arms up and shrugged.

"What brings you two here, Grandpa?" Vali asked.

"We just came to check up on you. I have to say, Issei-kun has progressed very rapidly in the past 2 months. He's managed to beat you 5 times, which is impressive alone. Still, he has a long way to go." Rizevim smirked while stroking his beard.

He then looked surprised as a thought came to him.

"Oh yeah, that's right. You're peerage just got back. You should go see them." Rizevim pointed his thumb upstairs.

Vali's face lit up as she nodded.

"Issei-kun, how about I introduce you to them?" She looked at him, slightly excited.

"Not so fast, Vali. There's something that I want to talk to Issei-kun about first. I'll let him come join you when we're done." Rizevim stopped the idea.

After Vali disappeared through the elevator, he turned to Issei.

"Issei, you've known Vali for about 6 months now so I think it's time we told you about her past."

Issei gave him a nod, telling him to go on.

"As you know, Vali is a bit shy and withdrawn around strangers but she's confident and joyful around her friends and loved ones. There's a reason for that. It's because she's afraid of showing her real self. When she was a child, she was constantly abused by her father and neglected by her mother. Her father never truly cared for her but he forced himself to raise her when he knew that I was watching. When I turned away to deal with other matters, he'd abuse her. After learning that she had the Divine Dividing, he tried to shape her into a weapon for his own use. Then, I learned of what was happening and executed him before taking Vali in." Rizevim's face soured at recalling the old memory.

"What sort of abuse did Validia-san suffer?" Issei asked, intent on knowing.

"Concerning the matter of abuse that Vali suffered…I guess it's better if I tell you now. For starters, her father would whip her whenever she didn't obey him, which was often. He isolated his daughter from all outside contact, creating some socializing issues for her. He also forced her to undergo hellish training, cutting her whenever she'd make the smallest mistake. He forced her to go without food or water for days to make her tough. Not only that, but he'd torture and brutalize others in front of her to make her harden." Rizevim sneered.

Issei and Azazel made the same expression.

"His abusive teachings scarred her. It's made her starved for love and affection. As side-effects, she's extremely reluctant to let anyone go because she never had anyone else as a child. Her own mother ignored her, and when she spoke out against her husband, he killed her in front of their own daughter."

Rizevim sighed.

"Ever since then, I've been trying to get her to socialize with others. That's why I reconnected with my Uncle Azazel, in hopes that he could properly teach her to be stronger to heal her weak willpower at the time. I tried to give her all of the love and affection that a parent could give to their child. My wife has done the same." Rizevim chuckled.

"Your wife?" Issei didn't know she was around.

"Yes, she's just arrived home with the others, you'll meet her later. Anyways, I told you all of this because you're the first friend she's had that's human. As you know, humans are apprehensive of species different from their own. She was utterly nervous when she met you, however, you proved to her that humans were kind too. To be honest, you've been the only person aside from family that's had a significant impact on her. She's actually willing to socialize with strangers again because of you." Rizevim gave him a grateful smile.

"With this knowledge, I just wanted to ask that you keep being her friend. Her emotional and mental scars are very far from being fully healed."

"I promise to stay by her side. To be honest, she's been doing the same for me. Ever since I was a child, I've always been alone. Validia-san's been the first person to actually be a friend to me after so many long years." Issei fondly spoke before nodding to Rizevim's request.

"Good. Thank you."

He gestured for Issei to leave, who also went up the elevator.

Rizevim then turned to Azazel.

"Were you watching him fight?"

"Yeah. It's unnatural. It's only been a month and he's already going blow-for-blow with Vali. Vali's already been born with frightening talent and Issei was just a normal guy until 1-2 months ago. I think it's Bahamut." Azazel theorized.

"I think it's something else. Did you recall his moves? I've seen them before. Issei was using a fighting style reminiscent of past holders of the 'Abyssal Fury'. It was like déjà vu. And I could tell the difference because Vali's fighting style is graceful and quick. Issei's style was quite different. It was strong and direct. I think there needs to be more investigation into this." Rizevim advised.

"True. He wasn't using a style that I know either." Azazel mused.

* * *

Upstairs, Vali had quickly showered and changed into a red shirt and black pants before going to meet with her Peerage members.

"Everyone, welcome back!" She greeted happily.

She found them relaxing in the Living Room while drinking some tea. However, she was surprised and elated to see a mysterious woman with them. She had white hair, purple eyes, a young face that made her seem much more youthful than Rizevim, who looked like he was in his early 30's. This woman looked like she was in her late 20's. She had a lithe and fit figure, with a gifted bosom, a sleeved red dress, black stockings, and white shoes.

"Grandma!" She jogged over and wrapped her beloved grandmother in a deep hug.

"Ohohoho dear! It's only been 8 months! Look how much you've grown!" The woman chuckled as she returned the embrace.

"How was your trip?" Vali asked.

"The Underworld is stable for now. Investigations of rogue activity have begun and we've already caught several rogues. I promise, whoever's targeting my granddaughter is going to be in for it." She declared.

Vali gave her a grateful smile as she turned to the rest of her Peerage.

"Why didn't you all tell me that you were coming back?"

"We were gonna surprise you." Kuroka grinned.

"That, and we got a little lost." Bikou confessed.

"I told you all not to go East." Arthur cleaned his glasses as he chided his comrades.

Vali chuckled at their antics. It had been so long since there had been any energy within the household.

Just then, the elevator dinged, opening to reveal Issei. Several people were surprised when they noticed his appearance. He was covered in dust and dirt, his hair was messy, and his clothes were a little damaged.

"Oh my." Vali's grandmother smirked at her granddaughter mischievously.

"Ah, please excuse my rude appearance." Issei bowed.

"This is my good friend, Hyoudou Issei. I remember Grandpa tell you all about him." Vali spoke up.

"He did. Welcome to our home, Hyoudou-kun. My name is Ezagyra, Vali's grandmother and Rizevim's wife. I hope that nothing bothersome has happened to you while you've been here." Said woman walked forward and shook Issei's hand.

Issei was surprised at this. Then again, there were myths that devils could change form, so he tried not to look too shocked by Ezagyra's young appearance.

"Nothing of that sort has happened to me, Madame. I've felt nothing but welcome here. If anything, I apologize for freeloading here." Issei kept his head down.

"Ara ara. You are certainly well-mannered. You don't need to worry about anything. Treat this place as your home, as Rizevim has told me about what happened to you. I also thank you for giving Vali support while she was attending school alone. Now then, I need to go see my husband." Ezagyra gave him a pat on the back.

Vali then turned to Issei, introducing her Peerage to him.

"Well then, let me introduce my peerage."

She pointed to a buxom woman with a black kimono. She stood out because she had black cat ears on her head and 2 black tails sticking out of her clothes.

"This is Kuroka, my Queen."

"Nice to meet you, Issei-nyan."

Then, she pointed to a young man with short hair who wore red armor and carried a long staff.

"This is Bikou, descendant of the original Sun Wukong and he's my Rook."

"Hey, there. It's nice to meet'cha."

After that, was a girl who looked like she was about a year younger than him. She was about 5'4, had short blonde hair that curled at the tips, wore a witch's hat and a school uniform, and she had blue eyes.

"This is Lefay Pendragon, my 1st Bishop."

"Welcome, Issei-sama. If there's anything you need, feel free to ask."

Finally, a tall young man with blonde hair, a suit, and glasses walked up and shook Issei's hand.

"Welcome, Hyoudou-san. My name is Arthur Pendragon, I'm Lefay's older brother and Vali's 1st Knight. If you ever need help, don't hesitate to ask."

"It's wonderful to meet you all. Please take care of me." Issei bowed.

He was intrigued by the diverse amount of people that were standing in front of him, but he got the vibe that they were all good people, or at least, that's what his instincts told him.

As Issei got to know the others, Ezagyra came back alongside Rizevim, with Azazel having left.

"Vali, there's a mission report coming in. There's a Stray nearby. As co-owners of this land, it's our job to deal with it." Ezagyra ordered.

"Understood." Vali nodded, standing up.

"Let's go."

"Alright, some action!" Bikou grinned.

"Issei, perhaps you should stay here." Vali turned to him.

"Actually, I want to come along. I want to learn more and see how much stronger I've gotten." He denied her request.

She gave him a worried look, the same pleading look that he found himself unable to resist.

"Vali, he's been training with you for the past 2 months. Field experience is the only way for him to grow further." Rizevim reasoned.

Giving a long sigh, Vali nodded.

"Just make sure to stay close to me."

"Got it." Issei agreed.

The group traveled to an abandoned factory, where the Stray was stated to be hiding.

"Mmmm…I smell a sweet smell. It looks like some delicious food has come to my doorstep. Allow me to greet you." A haunting female voice echoed throughout the building.

Everyone looked up and saw a Stray that had 4 yellow eyes, 6 arms, and horse legs. It lunged from the ceiling, though everyone dodged, splitting directions and surrounding it.

"Stray Devil, you shall be executed by the House of Lucifer for betraying your master to his death. Prepare Yourself." Vali declared.

Creating a light-blue magic circle in her hand, she fired it, creating a blast of lightning that paralyzed the enemy. Taking this chance, Arthur and Bikou charged in. Unsheathing his Holy Sword, Excalibur Ruler, Arthur cleaved the Stray in half while Bikou swatted away both sides, assuring that both were far apart from each other.

"Kuroka, Lefay." Vali signaled.

"Got it, nya."

"Understood."

Kuroka created white flames from senjutsu and burned away one half of the Stray's corpse while Lefay disintegrated the other half with a magic spell, causing it to fade apart.

"Well, that was easy." Bikou chuckled while stretching.

"It wasn't a strong stray, so this was a given." Vali noted.

She then turned to Issei.

"So, as you see, it's the duty of Devil households to exterminate Stray devils that get out of hand. This is almost a regular thing for Rias and me."

Issei felt a little disappointed. Everything had been settled before he could even lift a finger. So much for testing his growth.

* * *

After returning home, Issei was invited to dinner with the family. Seeing as it was rude to say no when the grandparents invited him, he found himself sitting awkwardly at the Dining Table, unsure of what to do besides eat.

That was until Ezagyra spoke.

"So, Issei-kun, how long have you known Vali?"

"About 6 months now, Madame." He politely replied.

"Oh, there's no need to call me Madame. Just call me Exagyra. You make me sound old."

Issei deadpanned on the inside, since she was technically very old, though he wasn't dumb enough to say those words. Ever.

"I understand, Ezagyra-san."

"May I ask what your parents do?"

"They're both board members for a company based here in Japan. They often travel the world for work so most of the time, they're not home." He explained.

Ezagyra gave him a sad look, as if sympathizing with him. Issei honestly didn't think he was worthy of pity after learning about Vali's past.

"If that's the case, then feel free to live here as long as you want, even after this whole targeting mess is settled." She smiled.

Rizevim didn't mind either. Vali, didn't say a word, however.

"I thank you for that. I'll think on it."

After dinner was done, Rizevim and Ezagyra had Vali stay behind to talk.

"Vali, there's something that you need to know." Ezagyra gave her a serious look, contrasting with her usual demeanor.

"A new alliance is coming. The Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels have all agreed to join forces and create a permanent Peace Treaty between our people. It's going to happen within a week. We will be there and we want you to accompany us as the future heir to the House. For something as important as this, it might be good for you to bear witness." Ezagyra stated.

Vali nodded resolutely.

"Good. You can go on, then. Perhaps Issei-kun is waiting for you." Her grandmother chuckled.

"Grandma, Issei and I don't have that sort of relationship. He's just a very good friend to me." The young lady shook her head passively.

"That might change."

"Good night, Grandma, Grandpa." She got up with an exasperated chuckle before leaving.

* * *

In their bedroom, Rizevim and Ezagyra began to talk.

"So what do you think about Issei-kun?" Rizevim asked, curious about his wife's perception of the young man.

"He seems earnest and kind. He also concisely pointed out Vali's good traits. And he knows about all of this and hasn't run off in panic, so I think he's a good boy. I also relieves me that he's not turning out like past hosts of Bahamut." Ezagyra shivered at that comment.

Rizevim held her close in their bad.

"Bahamut…He was so chaotic during the ending days of the war. I can't say I blame him. We involved so many people just because nobody was willing to see sense. We got so bloodthirsty that we even got innocent people killed. That's what set him off. It was even him who killed Father and my uncles. Not only that, he fatally wounded Grandfather and destroyed our original galaxy out of rage." Rizevim noted sadly.

The current world and galaxy that all life existed in now, was merely a second version of the original, one which was destroyed by Bahamut in rage and righteous fury.

Ezagyra made a sad smile.

"I guess we deserved it. Everyone took everything for granted."

"True. Still, I guess he had a point. If we kept at it, we'd all be dead; killed by our own hands."

"It makes me wonder. Was Bahamut trying to destroy all of us out of revenge? Or was it some sacrifice to make us snap out of it?" Rizevim grumbled.

"I don't know. It's too late to think about it now. I just know that at this moment, we need to make things right and we need to ensure that the future, the children, see better days than we ever did." Ezagyra smiled into her husband's chest.

"True."

However, Rizevim was still concerned about what would happen if Issei ever awakened Bahamut's mind. He feared that Bahamut still felt hate towards everyone, for if he were to somehow regain his body, there would be nothing and no one to save this world.

"Now enough about that. Let's talk about something else." Ezagyra scolded him, as if she read his mind.

"Sorry."

The rest of the night, the married couple talked into the night. As time went by, Issei grew closer and closer to Vali and her Peerage until the fateful time came for a much-expected day.

The day where the Three Factions would come to peace.

* * *

_**I chose not to include the Riser and Rias Rating Game because I've done it 2 times already, so I think that's quite enough for me. Lol. Also, I want to focus more on Issei and Vali and I felt that that particular arc would just take away from their development. **_

_**Next Chapter, the peace meeting between the Three Factions! I hope you'll look forward to it!**_


	4. Chapter 4: The Forbidden Dragon Stirs

_**Some of you have expressed interest in seeing Bahamut rage about and I'm excited to tell you that it is definitely gonna happen. However, it's not gonna happen in this chapter. It won't happen until far later into the story. So please wait patiently. **_

_**I'm also really glad that some of you like Ezagyra. I felt like she was necessary since it never seemed like Vali ever really had a mother figure in Canon or in several Fanfics. So, I decided to try and break out of that tradition. **_

_**Also…I'm going to say it right now. This is gonna be one crazy chapter but I figured that it was the best time to start clearing some things from the table. If you get confused, I don't blame you at all. **_

_**Oh, and another thing. At this current point, Vali doesn't hold any romantic feelings for Issei, yet.**_

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Forbidden Dragon Stirs**

Issei was slightly surprised when everyone told him that he'd be home alone. He was slightly nervous in the fact that the Lucifer Family and the Vali Peerage were all leaving together. However, that wasn't all.

Azazel had come by to drop off one of the tablets that contained information about Sacred Gears.

"You want me to hold onto this?" Issei looked at him, alarmed. He didn't think the mad scientist, er, the researcher would be willing to let him hold something so important.

"It's only for now. Also, I've already made a digital copy of it, so it's all good. It might work for you since that tablet specifically talks about your Sacred Gear. Maybe it'll have a message for you and not others." He grinned, as if he were hoping that were the case.

"Uh, but I don't know how to translate any of this." Issei commented with a deadpan.

"Just do what feels right. Sometimes, it takes the smallest or most random thing to cause a phenomenon." Azazel waved as he left.

Vali turned to him and walked closer.

"Take care of yourself while we're gone. If anything happens, use this. It'll bring you to us if you concentrate on anyone in the family."

She handed him a paper with the Lucifer symbol.

"Got it, thanks, Validia-san."

Vali nodded before leaving.

When he was left alone, Issei simply stared at the stone tablet, unsure of what to do. It just looked like a slab of black stone with crystal markings placed in them.

He trailed is finger along the sides, unsure of what move to make. Suddenly, a sharp sting crawled along his left index finger. He had been cut by the stone? What were the chances of that?

His blood dripped onto the tablet, though what happened next was completely unexpected.

The crystal markings in the tablet began to shine bright blue, darkening the room as the light grew stronger. Shielding his eyes, he looked at the stone once more when the brightness died down.

In front of him was a large orb of bright blue and gold light.

"If you have awakened this message, then it is clear that I am no more. Who I am matters not right now. To the one who activated this, I assume that you know that you hold the power of Bahamut, the strongest dragon, within you. Through this message, I shall tell you what is necessary."

Issei gulped, realizing who it was that recorded this message.

"Bahamut was not always a senseless being. He just loved others too much. When war swallowed the innocent, he went mad with rage when those closest to him were taken away. In outrage, he lashed out and brought catastrophe on those responsible. I was forced to separate his soul and turn his body into armored pieces. I have scattered his pieces across the world."

A hologram then appeared over the tablet.

"There are six pieces: The Helmet 'The Dragon's Eye'. The Left Gauntlet 'The Draconic Arsenal'. The Right Gauntlet 'The Abyssal Fury'. The Greaves 'The Herald's Echo'. The Wings 'The Cataclysm Bringer'. And finally, the most important, 'The Soul of the Abyssal Dragon'. Without the Soul, the set cannot be united and used to full potential. It is the Soul, that chooses who shall be the true and destined wielder of Bahamut's power."

Issei wrote this information down, unsure of whether he'd hear this again. Finally, he was finally getting information.

"When all are combined, only then, can the Balance Breaker be obtained. I had left behind Bahamut's power because I foresaw that one day, his power would be needed to protect this world, and perhaps others as well. Still, I worry over this decision, though I had chosen to stick by it."

Issei noticed that as the words left the orb, the light would change radiance to reflect the emotion within it.

"As for their locations, searching must be done. I know that in time, the pieces will most likely have been scattered to some unknown locations. However, as a precaution, I have left maps and clues to each piece. Only by finding one piece, shall another reveal itself. It was with my intention that only those of brave and pure hearts can wield the 'Calamity Catalyst'. Thus, I shall reveal the 2nd piece. Deep in the lands of the North, I have left the Left Gauntlet with an ancient clan, The Dragonslayers. Carry this symbol with you, and retrieve it, for that shall show that you will go forth with my blessing."

Issei grabbed hold of a crystal cross that had a dragon coiled around it. It shined navy blue while he held but when he set it down, then the light stopped.

Smiling to himself, Issei had gotten a new lead but at the same time, if it was foreseen that Bahamut's power would be necessary, then it was scary to imagine what would warrant it.

Suddenly, Issei felt chills go up his spine as danger became known to him.

* * *

Vali and the others had arrived at the New Kuoh school building, where Michael, Sirzechs, Grayfia, and Azazel were waiting.

Also present, were Rias and her peerage, which included Gasper Vladi, her Bishop who had been sealed due to his inability to control his powers. Then, there were two other people that Vali didn't know.

One had brown hair styled into twin-tails while wearing an exorcist uniform and the other had short blue hair with a streak of green going down.

Vali noticed that Kiba was glaring at the two with evident hatred.

"What's wrong with Kiba?" Vali whispered to Rias.

"Excalibur users." She plainly spoke glancing at the two newcomers.

Understanding now that it was because of Kiba's hatred for Holy Swords that was causing his reaction, Vali retracted her curiosity.

"Now that we're all here, let's begin with the main matter." Sirzechs prompted.

"A peace treaty." Azazel noted, seeing the curious looks on the faces of the younger people.

"My wife and I have no objections to this matter. We've learned our lesson a long time ago." Rizevim held Ezagyra's hand, knowing that both of them had intense memories of the first Great War.

"I'm all for it. I merely want to learn more without risking lives now." Azazel answered quickly and concisely.

"I am eager to establish a peace treaty too." Sirzechs smiled.

"I'm also in agreement. There has been too much loss of life. Something like a war isn't something that should occur again. Bahamut made that clear to us." Michael recounted.

"Bahamut?" Sirzechs looked at them, confused.

"He was from a time that far preceded your generation. He was a dragon born from the Abyss, an endless pit that was full of power and concepts like emotion and wishes. He's far mightier than when Draig and Albion were in their primes, easily outmatching them without so much as lifting a finger. When the first Great War happened, the Three Factions, as well as several other pantheons got involved in a giant war. Too many lives had been taken in the process and it enraged Bahamut, who deeply valued life. He lashed out and was put down by not only the Lord, but several other deities, who had to give all they had to weaken him enough to seal him. The rest is history." Azazel quickly hashed the topic, not wanting to talk too much about it without ranting. He'd prefer not to give the young people nightmares.

Understanding this, Sirzechs nodded.

"Now that we've agreed, let's move on to the next part of the meeting. Sharing recent events within our domains." Rizevim cleared his throat.

"A few days ago, Validia Lucifer was targeted for an attack and abduction. The perpetrators are still unknown. It is clear that someone is trying to stir conflict." He reported.

He, Azazel, and Ezagyra had agreed not to talk about Issei, as countless people would panic if they knew the details of Issei's latent potential and his sacred gear.

"I began an investigation for that, and there is still no lead. However, it's clear that Princess Vali would be good leverage to whoever it is that's aiming for her." Sirzechs noted.

"There was also a case of rogue Fallen Angel action. Specifically, a revolt from one of my cadres, Kokabiel, who wants another war to satisfy his bloodlust. That's not something I'll allow, though." Azazel declared.

"Heaven has also begun to exhibit odd signs within the system. Multiple reports of change have been appearing to me. Several Sacred Gears are being logged into the system's database as being active. One particular set alarmed me. The 'Abyssal Fury' has been activated. It is clear that this may be a sign left behind by the Holy Father." Michael made his input.

The Rizevim and the others that knew about Issei froze. They had forgotten about the fact that the Sacred Gear System was like a computer. It logged activated Sacred Gears into its system and told of the status for each and every one of them.

"I have heard rumors that the Old Satan Faction is attempting to begin work behind the scenes. A new organization has been formed, called the Khaos Brigade. There is still much that is unknown about this organization, but I do know that it is comprised of countless beings from several pantheons. If we remain separate, we'll most likely be picked off one by one."

"I think the same." Rizevim nodded.

Before anyone could continue to speak, a massive magic circle appeared over the Kuoh grounds. The sky turned orange in the light of the circle, as several people began to appear from the magic circles.

"Well, look who's here?" Azazel groaned.

"The Khaos Brigade." Michael had the same serious look on his face.

"They must've found out from Kokabiel. He knew that this meeting was in the works for a while."

True to his guess, the 10-winged Cadre appeared in the sky, leering down at the room everyone was in. Not only that, but Fallen Angels and rogue devils from the Old Satan Faction gathered around the Academy. With a quick count, there were no less than 500, though more were possible as it seemed like many were still coming.

"First and foremost, my wife and I will form a barrier around here. If not, then our home will be destroyed." Rizevim stood up.

"We'll help you." Sirzechs and Grayfia followed suit.

"Then we'll deal with the rest." Michael and Azazel turned to the four.

"I'm sorry to say, but you, young ones will have to help deal with the enemy's forces." Michael apologetically turned to the younger generation.

"Of course, Michael-sama." Xenovia bowed.

As Rizevim and his fellow devils began forming a massive barrier, the others charged at blocks of enemies.

Vali flew into the air and sprouted the Divine Dividing.

"Balance Breaker!" She called out.

Quickly, particles of white and light-blue surrounded her, quickly gathering and shaping into white armor with blue gems.

"Vanishing Dragon, Balance Breaker!" Albion announced.

Vali created an orb of magic in her palm before firing it at an incoming squad of devils, turning them into dust.

Bikou flew around on his flying nimbus, striking at foes with his Ruyi Jingu Bang while Akeno fired magic at surrounding enemies.

Kuroka fired blasts of white fire alongside Koneko, who was doing the same.

Arthur slipped through lines of enemies, cleaving them away with his Excalibur Ruler. While Rias concentrated her Power of Destruction at clusters of enemies that Arthur routed.

Kiba had frozen when he caught sight of a man that he recognized from his youth. An obese man with glasses and curly hair.

"Valper…Galilei? What are you doing here?!" He demanded.

The excommunicated scientist turned to him.

"Oh, it's you. I remember you. You were the only rat to have escaped extermination. You see, I came here to test my theories and new creations. I hope you'll like them." Valper snapped his fingers.

Magic circles appeared around as the earth began to vibrate and shake as stone ripped from the earth, forming humanoid knights of stone and metal.

"You all were useless when it came to Holy Swords, but your genes did indeed prove useful in manufacturing these 'Gaia Knights'. They have the power of the most seasoned Exorcists and should prove to be more than a match for you." He smiled.

Kiba froze, angered by this new insult.

"So you're telling me that instead of experimenting for the use of Holy Swords, you turned the lives and meanings of my comrades into these…THESE ABOMINATIONS?!" He roared, his fist shaking.

"Ha! Naïve boy. You know nothing of this world. Without sacrifice, there is no progress. Nothing in this world would've gotten far if nothing had been used to go further in knowledge and power. You and your friends were just cannon fodder. I was only keeping you around to try and perfect methods to wield Holy Swords. When that was useless, I created these Knights from salvaged data."

Kiba lunged at Valper, followed by Xenovia and Irina.

"What are you two doing?" He barked.

"Now that I know about that man's crimes. I won't just stand still and let him insult the lives of my fellow believers." Xenovia declared.

Irina merely gave him a nod as she brandished Excalibur Mimic.

The three closed in and swung on the Gaia Knights. They blocked with metal swords that radiated pure holy light, including auras.

Kiba's speed gave him an edge, but he proved too physically weak to do significant damage to the knights in one blow.

Dodging one knight and reappearing from behind, Kiba created two Holy Erasers and slashed in an X, turning one Knight into four pieces. He whipped around and tried to strike Valper, who cowardly backed away, only to be protected by his Knights.

Xenovia jumped into the air and brought Excalibur Destruction down on the Earth, blasting a wave of energy that destroyed one line of Gaia Knights.

As Kiba charged again, he noticed a shining blue gem on the ground.

'_Isaiah…_' it called out.

'_Listen to us._' Another voice spoke.

Snatching it from the ground, he looked at it, feeling some sense of familiarity with it.

"What…is this?"

"Damn. So you got a hold of that? No matter. That little thing there, is merely a crystal containing the dna and Holy genes of your dead friends. Keep it if you like, though it won't do you any good." Valper sighed.

Kiba couldn't believe it. Within his hands, was the only thing left of his dead friends. Feeling emotion override him, Kiba grit his teeth. This whole time, he knew that there was no way to bring back his friends. He believed that there wasn't even anything to help him remember them by. His greatest regret was that there was nothing to prove that they had lived, let alone them wasting their lives for him.

'_Wrong. You're not a waste._'

'_You…are proof that we lived_.'

'_No more beating yourself up_.'

'_Live for us and for yourself_.'

'_We may not have bodies, but our spirits are still in your heart and mind_.'

Multiple voices spoke to Kiba, who recognized each and every voice. His eyes began to tear up, as their feelings finally reached him.

"Everyone…I'm so sorry. All this time, I've been thinking that you all were more fit to live than me. I still believe so. However, I swear, I'm going to make things right. I'm going to live and make sure that none of you died in vain."

Suddenly, everyone turned to Kiba, feeling the rise in power around him. It was as if time had stood still, as the forms of human souls gathered around Kiba before entering his body.

Kiba opened his eyes, looking fiercely at Valper. He gripped Holy Eraser but suddenly, it shattered into pieces as a pillar of blue energy erupted into the sky, enveloping Kiba.

"I see." Michael smiled.

"What's going on?" Valper growled, shielding his face from the strong wind slapping him in the face.

"I shall no longer hold this sword for vengeance. From now on, I wield my sword for my new life and in memory of my old one." Kiba declared, brandishing the Sword of Betrayer.

Everyone looked at his new weapon in awe. Not believing what had happened.

"Preposterous! For Holy and Demonic powers to combine into a single vessel? The idea is ridiculous. It shouldn't even be allowed." Valper's face then contorted into shock as the answer dawned on him.

"Ha…hahaha. Hahahahaha! The answer is simple then! That means the Lord is dead!" He cackled at the revelation.

The younger generation stared at him, baffled.

"You lie!" Xenovia roared.

"Would this little light show be a lie?! If he were alive, then that sword wouldn't even be here! This proves that good and evil are longer shackled and that the balance is broken! This is unbelievable!"

Irina merely stood there, refusing to believe what had happened. Compared to Xenovia, her faith was much stronger.

"No…no." She croaked out.

Xenovia grit her teeth, looking at Michael. He only looked away sadly, confirming the truth. She sank to her knees, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

Suddenly, Kiba dashed at Valper, striking him across the chest, leaving a gaping wound.

"I may not be a believer anymore but one thing stands. Even if he isn't here, his teachings are! His teachings are still something that I respect. Valper Galilei, you may take pride in twisting things in this world, but trust me when I say this. Even if others leave things in the past, it doesn't mean that they are truly dead." Kiba than turned to Irina and Xenovia.

"He may be gone, but his love and teachings are still here. He lives on inside of those that follow his ways. Don't lose hope. Stand and fight. We can't afford to just stand here and die in this warzone!"

Kiba felt that this was strange coming from him, when he was just roaring for revenge earlier. However, he felt that if he didn't do this, Irina and Xenovia just might die and he couldn't let that happen. He had seen too many broken people die.

"You're right. Now isn't the time. For now, we need to settle this eras-old squabble." Xenovia wiped her tears, steeling herself for now.

Irina followed suit.

"Now, I'm going to shatter your work, which was made from injustice." Xenovia then opened her palm into thin air, as if to grab it.

"Saint Peter, Mary, Saint Basil, Saint Denis, I ask that you hear my call and grant me the power to destroy this evil."

Suddenly chains appeared from a magic circle, as a gold and blue sword protruded from it.

"Durandal! Impossible. Nobody's been able to use that weapon. Not since Vasco Strada!" Valper choked out.

"I'm a natural-born Holy Sword wielder and it was decided to keep this matter quiet until the time was right. However, given what you've done, I can't forgive you."

She hoisted the mighty sword high and slashed a golden wave of energy that rent the earth apart, blasting apart the Gaia Knights into tiny pebbles.

Taking this chance, Kiba lunged at Valper before finally piercing him through the chest.

"D-Damn you all." He wheezed.

"Never again, will you ever sacrifice people for distorted science." Kiba spoke to him as he ripped his sword from out of Valper's dying corpse.

Xenovia, Irina, and Kiba nodded at each, having found new respect for each other before running off to fight with the still-numerous enemies.

Michael then floated into the air, facing off against Katerea Leviathan.

"I'm honored that the leader of the Archangels would come to challenge me." She bowed mockingly.

"I feel the same way. I never knew that Leviathan had a descendant." He returned a polite greeting.

"Che! The current Maou only smear the name of my ancestor. What's worse, they allied with you Angel filth. We're meant to destroy you, not hold hands and walk in the park with your kind." She spat venomously.

"Oh? I get a different vibe from the others. I, myself, feel that peace is the best option, wouldn't you think?" Michael smiled passively.

"Not a chance in Hell. I will kill the Maou and then, I will have your head on a silver platter." She raised her staff and aimed a magic circle.

"At least I tried." Michael sighed, assuming a much more serious expression.

He opened his palm and created a golden magic circle as he sprouted his 12 golden wings.

"By the Light, I shall cleave away the darkness that you bring to these times." Michael declared.

He fired a flurry of light swords at her. The power contained within each was too much for Katerea to defend against. This was the strongest Archangel in existence and the one who sent Lucifer into the Underworld. This was no foe that Katerea could ever hope to match.

Changing his attack, Michael gathered light into his hand and dashed forward. As fast as lightning, he reappeared past Katerea. Before she could notice anything, blood spewed from a wound in her chest. Coughing out blood, she tried to move but her life was already slipping away.

"My apologies, but I am done with war mongering." Michael sadly stated. He had no wish to prolong a fight.

"As if I would allow this to be the end." Katerea turned around.

"Not happening." Michael cut her off.

He fired a large beam of light that vaporized her before she could do anything, enveloping her in the purest light possible, turning her to ash.

Elsewhere, up in the sky, Azazel and Kokabiel were blasting away at each other. Light spears clashed violently, shaking the earth as the two spoke.

"So, looks like your little trump card failed." Azazel smirked.

"Trump card? He was just a low card. I only brought him along to see the faces you would make when the revelation came out." Kokabiel grinned savagely before backing up.

"Hmph. And what about you joining the Khaos Brigade? Knowing you, I expected you to be fighting them instead." Azazel casually asked.

He fired a yellow beam of light that narrowly missed Kokabiel. In return, the evil Fallen Angel rushed at him, before spinning around, slamming his wings against his former leader.

"Well, they seemed like useful tools. All I did was tell them that you all were gathering at this spot, and like dumb monkeys, they leapt that the chance. I guess they thought that they were strong enough for this. Doesn't matter though. I really just want to kill you. The others can be dealt with at any other time."

"Oh?" Azazel raised a brow.

He aimed a kick at Kokabiel's neck, which was blocked by his arm. Azazel whipped around, creating a light sword that collided against Kokabiel's own. Sparks of yellow light erupted as their weapons pushed against each other.

Quickly punching at Azazel, the Fallen Angel Governor, blocked his attacks before elbowing him in the face. Kokabiel retaliated with a leg swipe to Azazel's back, making him stagger forward.

"Why? Why did you withdraw from the war?! We were going to win, you wretch! If we had kept at it, we'd be on top! Yet look at us now, at the bottom. Our people are dying and we don't even have a way of restoring our numbers efficiently. I can't believe I decided to follow you all those millennia ago!" Kokabiel pointed an accusational finger at Azazel.

"It's exactly that kind of idealism that made me withdraw. Kokabiel, do you not remember that it was because of Bahamut that the war ended? Do you not remember his words to us before Father sealed him away?" Azazel glared at Kokabiel, making it clear that he hadn't gotten serious yet. Depending on Kokabiel's reply, that might change.

"It was because we were fighting for dumb reasons that I withdrew. If it had kept up, the results wouldn't have ever been worth the losses. Too many of our brethren died already. Even if we had won, what would be the point when so many of our people and other people were dead? The ground was basically corpses when Bahamut got sealed."

Kokabiel merely clicked his tongue.

"That bastard dragon was always meddlesome. Everything that you've said is merely an excuse. Even so, we could've rebuilt everything! We could've ruled!"

Azazel immediately flared his aura and temper.

"YET WE WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO GET BACK WHAT WE'VE LOST! WHAT DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?! WE HAD ALREADY LOST BY THE END BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WERE DEAD!" His angry voice boomed and echoed across the land, startling everyone within the vicinity.

To see the calm and lax Azazel become so angry that he'd resort to yelling his lungs out with an angry fire in his eyes was a sight that had only been seen once before.

Even Kokabiel was taken aback.

"Enough talk. Let's fight."

Azazel took out a golden object that looked like a miniature lance with a purple orb at the end.

"Balance Breaker." He spoke with a low tone.

A bright gold and yellow light flashed before dying down, revealing Azazel adorned in golden armor.

"Downfall Dragon Spear, Another Armor. This is the fruit of my labor. An artificial Sacred Gear. Kokabiel, this will be your first and last time witnessing this."

Kokabiel stood on guard before Azazel could strike. However, before he could realize anything, his chest already had a deep gash. Azazel turned around, ready to attack again, but his foe would have none of that.

Whipping around, Kokabiel crossed his light swords, blocking an attack from his brethern's spear. Shockingly, he was being pushed back, unable to fight back against this new power.

Azazel dislodged his spear and slammed the flat end into Kokabiel's gut before punching him in the face.

With a roar of frustration, Kokabiel flew back before forming a massive spear of light.

"I'd like to see how you handle this." He goaded.

'_That'll be a problem._' Azazel groaned. However, he knew the perfect solution that would avoid any explosions.

"Vali." Azazel signaled.

Before he noticed anything, a figure in white dragon armor had struck him in the face.

[Divide], [Divide], [Divide], [Divide].

The voice of Albion echoed as energy was ripped from Kokabiel and absorbed by Vali. The spear of light that he had hoisted into the air had shrunk in size each time it was divided, alarming him.

"Take this." Vali spread her arms and fired bolts of lightning at surrounding enemies, quickly annihilating hordes of enemies.

With Kokabiel down, Azazel moved in to finish him. However, something unexpected happened. Kokabiel held up his hand and created a magic circle. Suddenly, an unconscious Issei appeared from it, forcing Azazel to immediately stop his attack.

"Fool!" The 10-winged Cadre created a spear of light and stabbed Azazel with all of his might, piercing his side.

With this moment of distraction, Kokabiel took a large swig of a red liquid from a bottle in his pocket.

"Phoenix tears." Rias remarked, alarmed.

"Since you all seem so fond of this boy, I decided that I'd bring him along with me. I wanted you all to watch as I kill him." The Fallen Angel smiled darkly.

"Issei!" Vali cried out.

"Not so fast." Kokabiel took an object out of his pocket and threw it to the ground before casting a spell on it.

Purple mist swept across the area, covering everyone from head to toe in the strange vapor. Suddenly, everyone coughed and made sharp intakes for air. Even the Leaders of the Three Factions were hacking for air.

"You bastard! I thought all of it was destroyed." Azazel choked out as his armor disappeared.

"Unfortunately, that was the last of it. So? How do you like this poison? It's called The Spectre's Clutch. It puts a curse on you and chokes the life out of you, no matter how strong you are. Unfortunately, the amount I have will only incapacitate you. I was supposed to use it while the others were alive, but they died before I could use it." Kokabiel chuckled.

Vali, who was trying to resist the poison, collapsed to her knees.

"Issei!" She wheezed out.

Gathering what air she had, she called out to him once more.

"ISSEI!" She screamed.

Twitching awake, Issei began to stir. Suddenly, his eyes flew open, looking around at the gruesome battlefield. He turned to his right and saw Kokabiel's face.

"You?!" He growled.

"Awake? Good. I want them to see your face as I kill you. Or should I kill them first and then you?"

Issei tried to resist, summoning the 'Abyssal Fury'. Pointing his open palm at Kokabiel's face, he blasted him point-blank in the face with an energy beam.

When the dust cleared, Kokabiel's face was bruised and bloody, though his face looked ecstatic.

"Oh? So you've got some bite, after all. Fine then. Let's play."

Kokabiel threw Issei to the ground, causing him to tumble and roll before he regained his footing.

"No, don't." Vali choked out.

She was cursing herself. The poison was just too strong to resist. She recalled how Rizevim had told her that the Spectre's Clutch was a poison that had won the Fallen Angels several battles, but it was ultimately dwindled down in amount until there was hardly any left to use, let alone there being any ingredients available for its creation.

She looked on as Issei dodged beam after beam of light. It was clear that Kokabiel was merely playing around with him. She reached out, but it was no use. Her body no longer had any strength as it was going numb. She looked around and everyone else was in the same state that she was.

Even Azazel and Michael were having trouble. They were left staggering on one knee, though they still had the strength to move slightly.

Unfortunately, that hope was destroyed as spears impaled their legs into the ground, with magic circles casting a spell on their wounds, forcing them to be stationary. Kokabiel grinned madly as he wasn't even looking at Issei.

The bastard seemed to relish watching everyone's faces of pain and struggle.

Back to the fight, Issei had created an orb of energy and fired it at Kokabiel, who simply stood in the air, tanking it.

Firing one more orb, Issei used this chance to fire another beam, pushing into the previous attack as it roared towards the Fallen Cadre. Once more, Kokabiel emerged from the smoke, though he licked his lips.

"I wondered just what kind of Sacred Gear you had, but now I know. This energy signature is without a doubt a dragon's. Though, I don't know which one." His lips contorted in excitement.

Forming a spear of light, he fired several spears of light that impaled Issei's two arms and legs, pinning him to the ground.

"AAARGH!" He yelled out.

"Damn!" He struggled to move but in the process, the spears began to tear his limbs apart, creating more harm for himself.

"No! Issei…you're gonna kill yourself." Vali protested.

"I'm not going to just sit here and watch others die!" Issei stubbornly declared.

"Is that so? Well, then. Since you've decided to protect them, then protect them from this." Kokabiel raised his palm.

Issei looked at the trajectory and looked shocked.

"No…leave them alone. I'm the one that you wanted to kill from the beginning."

"True. I had a feeling that you were trouble but you're not the only target on my hit list."

Issei let out a loud and agonized roar of pain as he ripped his right arm free. Vali gasped, seeing the massive amount of blood gushing from his arm.

"I AM NOT LETTING YOU TOUCH THEM!"

Gathering all of his might, Issei began charging his attack.

"Go on! That's it! Get angry! Get stronger! Give me a fight that's worth living for!" Kokabiel cackled as he sensed Issei's increase in power.

The ground shook and a navy aura appeared around Issei. As it grew fiercer, Issei looked like his pain increased with it, and it didn't seem to be due to his ripped right arm that had a gaping hole in the bicep.

Issei fired a beam of energy that slammed into Kokabiel, who suffered several lacerations that left him a bloody mess.

Issei felt his entire body burning as his consciousness began to dwindle. He felt weaker, the feeling in his body was also disappearing. Was he dying?

"Hahahahahaha! Excellent! For a mere novice, you've already obtained substantial growth! As a reward, allow me to kill that devil princess for you. Perhaps that will stimulate you to fight harder!"

He took out another bottle of Phoenix Tears and drank from it, healing his wounds.

Kokabiel, who was hopped up on adrenaline from the thrill of battle, decided to goad Issei further into a fight.

"No…" He spoke through grit teeth. He tried to move but his body was now broken. He couldn't do much more.

Vali looked at him with sad eyes.

"It's my fault that you ended up like this. If I had been more diligent, you'd be living peacefully right now. Everybody I care about always gets hurt. I'm sorry, Issei." She tearfully smiled at him, expecting her end to come.

'_No…No…No…NO! I refuse to let this happen! I am not letting her die on me! If I have the power to save her. To save them, then please, give me the strength to destroy this monster! I won't let any good person die!'_ Issei spoke to whatever higher force there was, hoping that his plea would be answered.

However, he himself was already starting to lose consciousness. Suddenly, his world went blank.

Issei's heart then made one single violent pulse. Suddenly, everything stopped. Chills traveled through everyone's bodies as panic and fear set in. Kokabiel looked around in fright, unsure of where this feeling was coming from.

He then snapped to a realization. He had only felt this sensation only once before. It was when…

"No. No. No. No. No. No! It's impossible! Bahamut's gone!" He panicked.

Even the arrogant Fallen Angel was in utter fear of the might that the Abyssal Dragon of Calamity wielded.

It wasn't only him, Michael, Rizevim, and Azazel felt the same. Their minds flashed back to images of an exploding galaxy. Several planets erupted and the Sun burst, and in its wake, was a dragon's silhouette.

Everyone else froze. Their hearts began to beat in overdrive, afraid of something that they didn't know of. Cold sweat poured down their faces like rivers as they waited for something to come. Much to everyone's shock, Issei stood up. Each step he took, made the ground shake. His breathing was heavy, but that wasn't the scariest part.

Issei eyes were glowing completely red, with no visible sclera or iris. Around him, the navy blue aura of a dragon manifested, coating him in the Soul of Bahamut.

"No! No! No!" Kokabiel's face contorted into fear. Even at full power, he was absolutely no match for the infamous dragon.

Issei disappeared with a boom, causing a violent explosion where he once stood. Kokabiel was stopped dead in his tracks as two of his wings were ripped out, blood spraying from where the joints were.

"Gaaah!" He screeched as he was kicked into the ground in the back.

He landed with the force of a meteor as a crater formed, sending debris flying high into the air. Sirzechs, dropping everything he was doing, abandoned his post and managed to save everyone. He and Grayfia managed to bring everyone to safety as they treated everyone's wounds. Sirzechs only spared one glance as he looked back on the battle.

Issei turned to Kokabiel, flying towards him and grabbing him by the head, lifting him into the air before slamming him into the ground. Grabbing his leg, Issei slapped him onto the ground once more on the opposite side. Repeating the process several more times, Issei threw Kokabiel into the air.

Desperate, the Fallen Angel fired spears in all directions that were 20 times larger than him. Issei appeared over his comrades before using his dragon aura to flap his wings, propelling all of the spears to fly back at their owner. Impaled several times, Kokabiel glared at Issei in fright. That was a mistake, however.

Issei disappeared from sight before barraging his hated enemy with a flurry of attacks that broke and tore Kokabiel apart, each of his wings were ripped out as his legs went next. The way he was losing his limbs was like someone watching paper being ripped.

With the torture over, Issei gripped Kokabiel and casually threw him into the air, though he flew at speeds that were like lightning.

Stretching his palm upward, Issei instantly fired a beam that was 100 times stronger than the any he had previously fired.

One loud scream was all that was heard before it was cut off by the roaring sound of truly terrifying might.

The blast sailed high into the sky, before exploding and illuminating the entire night as if it were day again. Suddenly, fierce winds slammed into everyone, sending several people flying as the aftershock tore Kuoh Academy apart. Luckily, it was only the building that suffered such a fate.

When the enemy was exterminated, Issei's dragon aura vanished and his eyes stopped glowing. Before long, blood erupted from his mouth as he dropped lifelessly to the ground.

"Issei!" Vali cried out.

Rizevim grabbed hold of him and brought back to the group. Feeling his wrist, Rizevim knew that Issei was dying. His pulse was dropping by the second.

"What's happened?" Sirzechs asked.

"Bahamut's instincts must've taken over. Luckily, Issei's personality tempered him or else Kuoh would be a wasteland crater right now. We need to do something. He's dying and fast."

Vali then had an idea. She scrambled into her pocket and took out her evil pieces. By some miracle, all eight of her pawns glowed in resonance to Issei.

"We've got no choice. Vali, use your Evil Pieces to heal him." Ezagyra urged.

"I, Validia Lucifer, have come to take you, Hyoudou Issei, as my servant. You shall side with me and live with me, for my sake as I live for yours. Come back from this ordeal and live with renewed purpose." Vali chanted.

The eight pawn pieces sank into his chest, before disappearing. For one minute that seemed like agony, everyone waited. Suddenly, Issei's chest began to rise and fall with each breath.

Rizevim sighed, feeling some sense of relief.

Vali sniffled as she felt grateful to whatever allowed her to save him. He wasn't dead before the ritual, but if she had been one second late, Issei would've been dead. That wasn't something she could've lived with.

"Still, we're lucky Bahamut was on autopilot. I haven't been that scared since forever." Azazel groaned, clutching his heart.

"It may have been his instincts, but that doesn't mean that his will and mind won't follow." Michael scolded him.

"Regardless, the matter can wait. For now, we all need medical attention." Azazel waved him off.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, not believing the strange twists and turns of the night. Still, everyone made it through to the new day. That was all that mattered.

* * *

_**If I'm gonna be honest, I felt like I rushed this chapter. I guess I got a little too excited to write this part before thinking it all the way through. **_


	5. Chapter 5: Welcoming a New Life

_**Since I wrote that Dragonslayers would be appearing, given what was written in Chapter 4, I wanted to clarify some things so that there'd be no misunderstandings. The Dragon Slayers don't fight like in Fairy Tail, where they all apply elemental magic to hand-to-hand attacks. Their name simply comes from having the role of slaying evil and rabid dragons.**_

_**This story doesn't take any characters from other animes and all OCs are original to this story, like Ezagyra.**_

_**Alright, it's time to start boarding the original story event boat.**_

* * *

**Chapter 5: Welcoming a New Life**

Issei found himself standing within the darkness of space. He could barely see anything besides an endless pit beneath him. It was a churning void of dark blue and black cosmic energy. Suddenly, he stared into the beyond as he was brought to the Milky Way, specifically to the Solar System around Earth.

He was enthralled by its beauty. It was so radiant and colorful, as if it just radiated with the power of life. Yet, something was wrong. The planet slowly began to turn orange, as if flames were erupting across the land. Craters instantly formed several times over on the world's surface.

Then, a tiny spot on Earth was glowing dark blue and it was increasing in size with each second. With a massive tremor, Issei was alarmed when he saw the planet shake. It shattered and broke as an omni-directional shockwave blasted from Earth, destroying all of the surrounding planets. An ear-bleeding roar echoed as Issei realized what was going on.

He was bearing witness to Bahamut's rage. It was the First Calamity.

Suddenly, a white transcendent entity formed, creating the silhouette of a humanoid wearing a white robe, who seemed to bring a calming presence.

Around him, where several individuals, who were standing on white platforms, with a massive orb of floating lights, which seemed like souls, were levitating within the darkness of space.

On the other side was revealed, with a massive creature that was half as large as Bahamut. It had many eyes and different heads, resembling an abomination.

Suddenly, a massive magic circle appeared around Bahamut with countless runes circulating within it. Bahamut roared, forming a giant orb of energy from his mouth. He was fired the beam and let his rage loose. It annihilated the many orbs of souls around him, atomizing them into nothing within seconds. He directed the beam everywhere, destroying whatever was in the way. Planets, stars, living beings, everything was destroyed. The number of destroyed things was becoming countless. Soon enough, it blasted the Abomination in half with only one shot before it struck the entity in white.

Loud screams and roars of pain were heard as Bahamut's attack did what was intended. Finally, the magic circle beneath the Abyssal Dragon was ready, several runes clustered around him as a large sphere formed around him before his body was sliced apart into 6 parts and turned into armor.

* * *

Before anything could continue, Issei awoke from his dream, startled. Now he was understanding why Bahamut was so feared. Even if he wasn't even created at that time, he feared Bahamut's wrath. To think that this whole time, something so powerful was inside his very soul. It freaked him out.

After calming down, Issei looked around and noticed that he was in a new place again. The room was almost like the one he had back at the Lucieln Estate, but it was much larger. He looked outside a window next to his bed and was thrown for a loop. He was shocked to see that the sky was green, with a vast and endless city stretching to the horizon, with a mountain range far away.

He moved his blanket off of him and put his feet on the ground. He suddenly felt light-headed but he brushed it off. He stood and immediately felt his legs fail him as all strength left his body. He gasped as he felt like all of the air in his lungs had been blown out. The burning pain in his legs immediately set in as Issei fell onto the floor with a loud thump.

The door to the room opened and the one who came inside was none other than Vali. She looked at Issei with a worried expression as she ran over to him to help him up.

She walked over to him and directed him to sit down on the bed.

"What happened?!"

"I tried to get up. It's fine." Issei tried to downplay everything, but Vali wasn't convinced.

After she settled down and helped him back into bed, the two began talking.

"How are you feeling? We were all worried about you."

"I feel fine…strangely. What happened? How long was I out?" Issei asked.

"Well, we're in my ancestral home in the Underworld and you've been out for a week." Vali then looked away, knowing what Issei was going to ask next.

"Validia-san, tell me what happened."

With a sigh, she retold recent events of how Bahamut's instincts had taken over his body and decimated Kokabiel, along with destroying Kuoh Academy. She also made sure to tell him that she took him into her peerage to save his life. The healing magic of the Evil Pieces managed to prevent Issei's lifeforce from snuffing out.

When Issei learned the details, he was horrified at himself. To think he'd cause so much destruction. It was also in part to his recollection of how Bahamut had been sealed.

Noticing his expression, Vali put a gentle hand on Issei's.

"If anything, Kokabiel got the drop on all of us with his poison. You couldn't help it. If it weren't for you, we'd all be dead."

This gave him some closure, though it wasn't alleviated completely.

The door opened again and Azazel walked inside. He was sporting a grin, happy to see that Issei made it out alive.

"So, you decided to come back to life? That's good. I wanted to talk with you about what happened last week."

"What did you want to know?"

"Did Bahamut speak to you?" Azazel changed his expression, becoming serious and taciturn.

Issei shook his head.

"No."

"Then, how did you start fighting like a possessed man?" Azazel asked, perplexed.

"I don't know. I just wanted more power and then everything went black. I don't know how or why I did all of that, but I don't have any answers." Issei shook his head.

"Well, on to the next one then. Did you learn anything from the tablet?"

This, Issei could answer.

"Yeah. I think I'm meant to find the other pieces of the Calamity Catalyst. I'm supposed to go to the North, to meet with the Dragon Slayer Clan."

Azazel was alarmed. They were known to be slightly reclusive and were quite mysterious. The last thing he heard of them was that they were fighting a war with a certain group of dragons.

"That's not exactly a good idea. They hunt and kill Evil Dragons and Rabid Beasts for a living."

"I know, but I have to. I need to control this power and I need to be stronger. If there are people like Kokabiel out there, then I need to be strong enough to protect the people around me. Besides, since I'm the one with the Soul of Bahamut, then there must be a reason to have it." Issei protested.

Sighing, Azazel grumbled to himself.

"Fine. But before you go, you're training under my tutelage."

He had to prepare the boy. In the few months that he knew him, Issei had grown on him. He had a thirst for knowledge and was earnest and hardworking. He wasn't going to let potential like his be wasted by one wrong move to go to a possibly-hostile territory on his own.

"That's perfect." Issei smirked.

"Ours as well."

From the hallway, Rizevim and Ezagyra walked out. They knew that if Issei had been stronger, then perhaps Bahamut wouldn't have needed to take over. That wasn't a risk that they could allow again.

"Of course, I'll be helping you too." Vali promised, giving him a smile.

"Thanks, Validia-san." Issei returned the expression.

"All of my close friends call me Vali. So from now on, that's what you can call me too."

"Got it."

* * *

After that, Issei decided that he'd spend one last day resting. His body was still sore and aching and he still had a temperature, but other than that, he was fine. While he lay in bed, he analyzed the tablet that Azazel had recovered. Luckily, Kokabiel ignored it.

With the stone slab, he learned that only the one with the Soul of Bahamut could gather all of the pieces to the 'Calamity Catalyst'. He also learned more about the 'Abyssal Fury', which would allow him to regenerate depending on the severity of his injuries. While he did so, Vali and her peerage would stay with him to keep him company. He decided that perhaps that was the most efficient time to learn more.

"Demonic magic is based on imagination, but Arcane magic is focused on applicable use of one's desires. As humans have great want, they created magic to accomplish those wishes. For example, if I wanted to create fire, I imagine a fireball in my hand and combine it with willpower and/or concepts of what make fire, like heat or oxygen." Lefay explained.

He had begun to learn magic lessons from her, in hopes of gaining better knowledge. Bikou and Kuroka were also teaching him about senjutsu and touki. Arthur was spending time with him by teaching him history and tactics.

Issei still couldn't believe that he was in a group of people with such amazing capabilities. However, there was a secret that Issei didn't share with anybody else. It was the fact that he was experiencing dreams where knowledge of different fighting arts were flowing into his mind, as if he were learning it just by remembering.

Though with all of that training and learning, Vali urged him to relax, afraid that he'd push himself to exhaustion again.

"You have to listen to me. You. Must. Rest. You've been out for a week and you lost 50% of your blood! No more training until you can walk straight!" She objected.

"But-!" He tried to object, but Vali stared him down.

"You are now a member of my peerage. I won't let anything harm them, including themselves!" She growled.

Her stare became fiery yet cold at the same time, making Issei shrink in defeat.

"Yes, ma'am." He wheezed out.

"Now, it's time you got fresh air." Vali directed him to a wheelchair.

"Uh, I can walk just fine." Issei leered at the wheelchair, feeling that it was unnecessary.

"Doctor's orders. You've lost 5 pints of blood out of 11. You've only gained 2 pints back. You aren't dropping onto the ground again, mister." Vali crossed her arms.

Straining into the wheel chair, he looked at Vali in resigned defeat.

"I'm ready."

When they exited the room, Issei was rolled through a long hallway with red carpet. Flags bearing the crest of Lucifer were hung on the ceiling, along with several paintings of family members. Issei wasn't surprised either when an elevator door was present within the building.

Together, they visited the gardens, which had a plethora of flowers and plants that were from the Human Realm and then there were some from other realms.

While Issei was recovering, he found himself going out to the gardens often with Vali and the rest of the Peerage, chatting and learning more about each other.

Bikou actually hates bananas and preferred peaches instead.

Arthur hates trashiness and liked to read books.

Lefay was into television but wasn't fond of sour foods.

Kuroka despised swimming but liked to go on walks.

Despite initial impressions, Issei was pleased to see that beneath each of their exteriors, they were just as normal as he was. Someone who had their own likes and dislikes, with fighting being a secondary thing to them. They were fun to be around, as they got rid of the loneliness that Issei grew up with.

* * *

After another week, Issei was finally allowed to walk again without having a wheelchair behind him anymore. Strangely, he felt more vitality flowing through him, as if he got in touch with capabilities he never had before.

"Well, the Peerage is going out today, so get dressed before we go." Vali advised as she waited outside of his room.

When the two went outside, Issei saw that the Vali Peerage was already waiting. They were all wearing casual clothes, in contrast to their usual outfits.

Bikou was in a tan jacket with a red shirt and white pants.

Kuroka was wearing a black sweater with a red skirt and black shoes.

Lefay was wearing a blue shirt with a cream cardigan and a white skirt.

Arthur was wearing a green hoodie with a dark grey shirt and black pants.

Together, they boarded a train that was absurdly large compared to human standards. Apparently, it was the Lucifer family's personal train. It had 8 compartments with a dinner cart, a bar cart, a bedroom cart, and even a bathing cart. Issei was just thinking that this was just way too ridiculous.

"We're gonna take you on a trip around the stores here. We figured it's a good idea to introduce the place to you while you were here." Vali explained.

"This is also congratulations for recovering from your injuries." Kuroka grinned.

"Then shouldn't we be celebrating for everyone?" Issei questioned.

"Well, in a sense it is, but you're the one that managed to save everyone in the end." Bikou shrugged.

The plan for the day was to go shopping for new belongings since Kokabiel had ended up trashing their residence in Kuoh when he captured Issei. Luckily, everyone there had survived and even managed to keep several belongings safe, but there was still a need for new things. After that was a party to celebrate Issei's entrance into the Peerage, as well as the first victory over the Khaos Brigade.

"Well, then. Let's get everyone some new clothes." She smiled, leading everyone inside a clothing store.

Issei was surprised to see that there were human clothes in the store, with them taking up half of the place's collection.

"This place is owned by a former human, so he's started a famous chain of clothing lines based off of human tastes. Go ahead and pick what you like. Limit your number of outfits, though. Greed may be one of the sins that we sometimes indulge in, but it's not to be practiced at all times." Vali warned.

"Got it."

Now that he thought about it, this was the first time in a long while, where he was alone in a non-threatening situation.

He looked around and managed to find a few clothes that he liked. Though he felt a bit sheepish, Rizevim had given him a grant of money, which was equal to 10,000,000 yen. He had to do a spit-take when he found out about its worth.

While looking around in the store, he heard Kuroka and turned to see her with Vali and Lefay. The three girls were trying on different outfits, some of which were dazzling to see.

Lefay was trying on a purple shirt with a red blazer and cream skirt.

Kuroka had a pink tank-top with a white jacket and a red skirt, making her look like she was getting dressed for Valentine's Day.

Vali was wearing a blue dress that reached above her knees. It was frilly at the hems and had no sleeves. However, the part that stood out the most was that it was sort of struggling to contain her extremely gifted bust. She grumbled at the tightness, though Kuroka only giggled.

"Well, looks like that's the only problem with such a gifted bust. You've got problems finding the right size."

Vali looked at her friend indignantly.

"What?! Why are you saying that out loud?!" She snapped.

Issei's cheeks tinged pink. He tried to tune out the conversation but he didn't really have a way to avoid hearing their talk.

* * *

When they were all done clothes shopping, they left their bags with the family train while they went into town to go eat dinner. While walking through the streets, Issei intrigued by the elaborate designs of the Underworld City. The buildings were grey and black, with pointed tips characterized on the roofs. Still, the material and designs were reminiscent of human homes.

Issei felt oddly comfortable in this new environment. He was suddenly broken out of his thoughts when he heard Vali speak louder than usual.

"Sairaorg!" Her voice pepped up.

Issei looked ahead and saw who she was waving to. He was a tall and muscular man wearing a simple black jacket and pants of the same color. However, without a doubt, he had an aura of authority and radiated power. While his expression seemed stern, his purple eyes were gentle.

"Oh, Vali! I didn't know you were back." He waved at her.

She smiled brightly at him as she stopped in front of him.

"Oh, that's right. Allow me to introduce my new Peerage member to you. Hyoudou Issei, a human. Issei, this is Sairagor Bael, Heir to the Bael Clan."

The two shook hands politely, though Issei felt like Sairaorg was analyzing him and determining who he was.

"Hello, I'm Sairaorg Bael. I'm a childhood friend of Vali's. I heard from Lord Sirzechs that you helped during the battle against Kokabiel. I'm sorry for not coming to help."

"No, it's fine. It was a surprise attack from him, so I don't think anyone's at fault." Issei shook his head.

Sairaorg grinned. He liked Issei's humbleness, though he could tell that there was a deep and powerful will beneath his meek tone.

"I've heard quite a bit about you from Vali. Apparently, she's been training you. I hope we can spar some time." He gave a friendly grin.

"Well, if you're fine with someone like me, then I'd be honored."

"I'll look forward to when a chance comes, then."

"By the way, wanna come with us to dinner? Rias and the others are coming." Vali offered.

Issei stared to notice that Vali was extra cheerful around Sairaorg, which was a new sight. She wasn't exactly as energetic with him as she was with him. However, there was the fact that they knew each other as kids.

"I shouldn't. I don't want to intrude." Sairaorg shook his head.

"Why not? It's been a long time since we've all hung out." Rias spoke up as she came closer.

Next to her was Sona Sitri, Student Council President of Kuoh Academy.

Issei's eyes were about to pop out of his sockets when he saw that the entire Student Council was her peerage.

"Ah, perfect timing. Maybe you can help me convince this stubborn guy." Vali smirked.

"Fine fine. Whenever you three get together, I always end up losing an argument." Sairaorg sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Where's your Peerage?" Vali looked around.

"They're out shopping. It's been a while since we all had a break so I decided that now was a good time. Mind if I call them over to dinner then?" He looked at the three Heirs.

"By all means. We reserved the entire restaurant for tonight." Sona adjusted her glasses.

Said restaurant was at least 3 floors. The interior was lit with candles and magical spheres. Smooth wooden floors and clean carpets decorated the floor as several long and round tables were scattered across the rooms for customers. There was also a bar at the center of the room.

After the Young Devils had arrived, Sirzechs, Michael, and Azazel showed up, with Xenovia and Irina tagging along.

"Well, take any seat and order as much as you like. Tonight, we're sparing no expense in celebration of the Alliance's first victory over the Khaos Brigade. So, relax, party, eat, and drink to your heart's content." Sirzechs smiled as he raised a glass of wine.

Everyone raised their glasses, though Issei decided to sit in the back, feeling suspicious in the fact that someone might ask about his abilities. It was still something of a secret that Issei was playing host to Bahamut's Soul.

While eating alone, he felt a pat on the back as he turned around and found Arthur and Kuroka standing there.

"Why're you staying alone, Issei-nyan." Kuroka spoke playfully.

"Well, I'm pretty much a stranger here, so I didn't want to just waltz in on anyone's conversations." He admitted.

"On the contrary, that's how you gain friends. You have to do that sometimes to learn more about others." Arthur countered, giving his new comrade a small smile.

Issei knew that was true, but he was just nervous about walking up to a group of people and edging into the conversation.

Suddenly, Vali, Bikou, and Lefay walked over and sat at his table.

"We're your friends, Issei. There's no need to shy away from us." Vali pointed out.

"That's right. You're a part of the team now." Bikou gave him a pat on the back.

"How about a toast?" Lefay raised a glass.

"Well, then. A toast to our newest member and savior, Hyoudou Issei. Welcome to our family." Vali spoke before everyone at the table clinked glasses and drank a sip.

"Thank you." Issei looked at everyone, before having a sip.

The group broke into jokes and laughter until Sirzechs walked over. That was when the jokes stopped and everyone respectfully regarded the current leader of devils. However, they easily resumed their joyful demeanors, knowing that Sirzechs wanted to be treated like just any other person.

"Is there something we can help with, Sirzechs?" Vali asked.

She always saw him as something like an older brother while growing up with her grandparents.

"There's something that I want to talk about with you, and the other young High-Class devil."

"Shall we leave?" Arthur looked at him.

"No, of course not. This matter also concerns all of you." Sirzechs held a hand up casually.

"Given what has happened recently, it has been decided that each faction will be putting in effort to deal with any Khaos Brigade attacks. While I don't want to do this, I have no choice but to warn you that in certain circumstances, you all may be called upon to fight." He cast a sad look at them, almost as if he were sending his own little siblings off to battle.

"I understand, Sirzechs. Without a doubt, I've been training to be able to defend my home." Vali proudly stated.

"I feel the same, nya. If my master wishes it, then I will do what I can for her." Kuroka smiled.

"I think it'll be a testament to my strength. I also cannot allow the enemy to harm anyone from my new home, either." Arthur nodded.

"I agree with my brother. I'm enjoying this peaceful life. I want it to stay that way." Lefay concurred.

Sirzechs smiled gratefully at everyone, though his gaze lingered on Issei for a moment, as he didn't say anything.

"My master is the one who saved my life when I was going to die. I owe her my life twice. If the Khaos Brigade truly wants to create mayhem for others like they did to me, then I'll gladly help stop them." He spoke up after some thought.

Sirzechs was pleased by their answers but he prayed to his lost forefathers that the day would never come where he would have to send these young ones off to battle.

"With that said, there's also another matter to speak about. In a few days, we'll be holding a formal party to celebrate the official formation of the Alliance. I know its redundant, however, it's something of a political event. This little party, in my mind, is the real celebration." He smiled.

"On that day, many of the star Young Devils will gather and we will hear your dreams and wishes. There will also be a Rating Game arrangement for them, as it is a tradition in the Underworld to make up and coming Peerages compete to decide their hierarchy and standing. It will also affect the dreams of those that participate." Sirzechs sneaked a glance at his cousin, Sairaorg.

"So it's something of a show and a qualification tournament?" Issei asked.

"In a sense. It's like scouting for the older devils. It shows us just who we'll support and it also serves as a checkpoint to determine if you want to compete or not. After all, it would be a waste to give someone Evil Pieces if they're not going to use it for any reason. That's pretty much what the Rating Games are all about, as it helps display the skills of those who enter and it can give them higher status in our society. It's a chance for power and ascending to greater heights." Sirzechs summarized.

For a show, this certainly carried so much weight that it was unbelievable.

"I understand."

"Do enjoy the rest of the party. The night has only begun after all."

Suddenly, an arm around Sirzech's shoulder.

"C'mon, let's grab a drink." Azazel urged.

"Sure. I won't drink too much though, my wife will kill me if I go home drunk."

"Haha! It'll be fine. Grayfia can let you slip for one night."

Sirzechs looked over his shoulder and his wife raised a brow, signaling that he better not go out of control.

Issei chuckled at that dynamic as he ate a piece of his food. Slowly, the rest of his Peerage split up to go talk with others, leaving only him and Vali.

"So, Issei, I've been meaning to ask." Vali looked at him nervously.

"Hm?"

"Do you resent me for putting you in my peerage?"

"Nope. You saved my life for the second time now. It's now at your disposal. Willingly." He smiled at her.

That brought some relief to her, but she still felt some sense of guilt.

"Tell me, what are your dreams?" She chose to ask now. It had occurred to her that they never talked about this sort of thing.

"To be honest, I didn't have one until a few weeks ago. I grew up alone, not knowing anyone. My parents were never home and I pretty much had to learn everything by myself. I guess it kind of left me a little lost since nothing ever influenced me. However, with what's recently happened, I kind of made one for myself. I want to protect the people close to me. It's awfully pleasant to be around people that care about you and to care about the people around you. That's why I want to make sure that they stay safe because as long as their happy, I'm fine."

Vali was touched by his words. There was so much sincerity in his eyes that it just compelled respect.

"What about you?" He asked her.

"I'll reveal it at the party. No point spoiling it now." She chuckled.

Soon enough, Rias and Sona sat down at their table, eager to talk to Vali.

"So, Vali, is he your new servant?" Sona adjusted her glasses.

"Yes, he is. He's my Pawn, Hyoudou Issei."

Er, pawn? Issei sighed in his head. It made sense. He was pretty dispensable, after all.

"He took up all eight, though, so he's not someone to underestimate."

Eight?! He was surprised. Vali had told him about the traits of the Evil Pieces, so the value surprised him.

"That's no surprise." Rias confirmed, for she had also bore witness to Issei's execution of Kokabiel.

Sona and Sairaorg, however, looked at them, perplexed.

"Anyways, how's your mother, Sairaorg? Did she get the medicine that I sent?" Vali interjected before anyone could say anything.

The man nodded, giving her a grateful look.

"Yeah. It helped improve her condition quite a bit. The doctor said that she just may be able to wake up sooner than possibly expected." He bowed his head.

"I can't thank you three enough for always looking out for me." He bowed his head again.

"It's no problem. We're all friends who've known each other for forever." Sona smiled coolly.

Issei merely sat awkwardly. He didn't want to seem rude by just getting up and leaving but he had no place here either. He was about to get up until Sairaorg spoke up.

"Still, when the Rookie Rating Games begin, I'm not gonna hold back. I would be disrespecting you all otherwise." He pumped a fist.

"That's a given. Still, you're the same as always." Vali agreed, with a slightly pink face while smiling as she looked at Sairaorg.

The man's face also went a little pink as he scratched his cheek, looking away.

Issei, Rias, and Sona looked at them both with knowing faces.

'_Mhm…_' They seemed to think the same thought at the same time.

It was clear to Issei that the two had crushes on each other. Then again, he had no experience with this sort of thing.

Vali's face, however, showed a slight wince and an uncomfortable look flashed in her eyes, as if she were thinking of something unpleasant.

"Well, anyways, Hyoudou Issei, I wanted to say thank you." Sairaorg turned to him, giving him an honest smile.

"For what?"

"I heard it was you that saved everyone here from Kokabiel. It was also you who became Vali's first human friend. I felt like I owed it to you to thank you. You saved my most precious friends and you supported Vali when I couldn't. You see, I always want to help my friends, since I know what it's like to be alone. I'm sure you can relate." Sairaorg gave him a look that he knew all too well.

It was a look of solitude. Issei couldn't help but crack a smile.

"To be honest, it was a fluke that I did anything. It…really wasn't me that won. As for being friends with Vali, there's no thanks necessary. To be honest, I'm surprised she wanted to be friends with a nobody like me." He turned to his side and found Vali smiling gently at him.

"Even so, I hope that we can become good friends." Sairaorg offered his hand.

Issei shook it feeling slightly less weird around this close group of friends now.

"Hey, sushi bar's open." Azazel announced.

"Ah, sounds good." Issei and Sairaorg both got up, grinning as they walked now that they had found common ground.

With vacant seats, Ezagyra walked over and sat down with the girls.

"Lady Ezagyra." Rias and Sona bowed.

"Ohohoho. No need for that. I told you all, remember? Go ahead and think of me as your grandma. Oh, you two have grown up to be such beauties. It looks like Grandma will have to find you some nice boys to meet." She joked. In truth, Ezagyra hated arranged marriages and unconsented weddings.

"I've already found one." Sona cleared her throat.

"I'm not interested right now." Rias awkwardly waved off the idea.

"Aww, so that means my granddaughter is the only that likes somebody right now." Ezagyra sadly pointed out.

Vali froze, her face turning pink.

"W-What are you talking about?!" She sputtered.

"I mean how you like Issei-kun." Ezagyra chuckled.

Vali's face became a bit more serious, gaining some composure.

"Actually, it's not him." She sighed.

This was odd to Ezagyra. Her intuition was telling her otherwise.

"Oh? I mean out of all the people that you've socialized with since childhood, he's the only one whom you've actually trusted with your secrets. He's also the only who's given you emotional support while at school. And when we were fighting a week ago, you dropped all honorifics with his name." She teased.

"True. However, the person I like is someone else. He's known me for much longer too."

Ezagyra sighed. She felt a little disappointed at that. It looked like her intuition was off, or so she hoped not.

The impression she got from Issei was quite positive. He was less sure of himself and placed others above his own standing. He was willing to sacrifice himself if it meant that others got out of an altercation unharmed. Even as he was staring death in the face, he refuse to stop. His fight with Kokabiel had impressed her a lot and it wasn't the power of Bahamut that did it. It was his heart.

Regardless, she trusted Vali's feelings, as it was the girl's life.

"Then how do you feel about Issei?" She pressed on.

"He's my best friend. He always listens to me and tries to cheer me up at all times. He also looked out for me when I went to school with him. Still, I've only known him for 6 months. I don't feel that way about him. I feel like he's someone to protect." Vali shook her head.

Sairaorg and Issei sneezed as the women spoke.

* * *

When the party ended, everyone split up, heading home. However, Sairaorg and Vali went in one direction with their Peerages, taking another path so that they could talk.

"So, how've you been?" Sairaorg asked.

"Good. What about you? Anyone still giving you trouble?" Vali japed.

"I can handle what comes my way. I could ask you the same thing." Sairaorg smirked.

"Nope. Geez, it's been so long since we've hung out." The girl stretched, feeling more relaxed than before.

"True. I missed hanging out. Perhaps the four of us will have more chances now that you're back home." The taller man smiled.

"Count on it." Vali nudged Sairaorg as they walked.

"Still, you've grown up a lot." He blushed.

"Y-Yeah. You have too." She stammered.

Both of their Peerages gave exasperated and sour expressions at the two.

'_Just kiss already_.' They groaned.

Vali's Peerage finally split apart from Sairaorg's as their homes were on opposite sides.

Issei walked with his group until he felt his body grow cold. He became slightly light-headed and his feet lost feeling. However, he did well in hiding that fact.

"Hey, guys, I'm gonna take a detour. I gotta use the restroom and there's something I wanna get. Go ahead and go home without me. I'll catch up since I've got a map." He waved at them as he walked off into another direction.

* * *

When the others were far from sight, Issei started wheezing as his body went numb. Cold sweat poured down his face as he took a seat by a bench. He had only just begun to recover, if he were honest. Still, these new spasms were new. It was like the time when he awakened his Sacred Gears. Was his body trying to adjust itself again to match some newly awakened power?

He clutched his chest as his heart and lungs were beating against his ribcage. He wanted to avoid ruining everyone's night with his sudden pain, so he kept quiet about it.

Suddenly, footsteps reached his ears. He looked to see who it was and it was Sairaorg staring at him with a serious expression.

"Hyoudou Issei." He grumbled, his voice stern.

He walked over to him, though his footsteps seemed bothered.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, playing off his nervousness while controlling his breathing.

"Why did you not say anything about this? You're clearly in pain. Come on. I'll take you back home." Sairaorg walked over.

"I had a feeling that something was wrong with you since you were deathly pale so I came back because I felt something was wrong." He hoisted Issei's arm around his back and gently lifted him from the ground.

"No, it's fine! Don't worry about me, Sir Sairaorg." Issei protested, feeling embarrassed.

"Nonsense! I consider you a friend now and I won't ignore my friends." Sairaorg chuckled.

Feeling defeated, Issei laughed.

"It looks like I lost."

"Indeed you have."

Finally arriving home, Sairaorg had proven to surprise everyone when he dropped Issei off.

"What happened?!" Vali asked.

"Issei-kun was feeling a bit sick when I came across him, so I dropped him off in case somebody tried to do something fishy to him."

"Sorry, Sairaorg-san."

"No worries. Take care." He smiled before leaving.

Issei was honestly impressed by the man. He was honest and helped out a total stranger like him, even calling him friend. To be honest, it was greatly pleasant to him as he was usually ignored or mistrusted.

Perhaps this new life as a member of the Lucifer Household was a good thing after all.

* * *

_**Did I surprise all of you? I wanted to try a new plot dynamic and romance since I haven't really had much experience writing this kind of plot device yet, so I figured I'd try it for the first time. **_

_**Let me know what you think, since I'm kind of worried about it.**_


	6. Chapter 6: Hidden Depths

_**Author's Note: **_

_**For simplicity's sake, I'm going to refer to 'Touki' as simply 'ki'.**_

* * *

**Chapter 6: Hidden Depths**

As he began transitioning into the life of a Devil, Issei had begun to work by creating contracts. For each successful contract, he'd be paid with Underworld Credits called 'Sates'. The first few of his contracts were a bit…strange. That earned him significantly more pay than other contracts, by his estimates.

His first client was an otaku named Morisawa, who often looked for people to play games with, alongside discussing anime and manga. Issei didn't mind, though.

"So you're saying that it was okay for Truck-kun to crash into 'Fuuga' so that Naoi could be introduced into the story?!" Morisawa growled.

"It was Fuuga's fault for not even looking at the road when Truck-kun came along! Even though I liked Fuuga, I liked Naoi more! She moves the plot along." Issei fired back.

"And what's the deal about Ashuka, huh? Reibi was way better! She ain't some Tsundere bitch like Ashuka." Morisawa fired up.

"Ashuka isn't flavorless like Reibi. At least she has personality!" Issei sneered.

For an hour, they just yelled at each other for their opinions, though it was still fun. At the end of the night, he managed to establish the contract, with video game goods as payment. He was kind of glad that the matter calmed down. He even chuckled at getting caught up in the pace. It was a while since he had that much fun.

His next client…he was never ready for.

Knocking on the door of an apartment, he expected a normal-sized person to open it. When the door moved, he was met with the image of a giant ab. He slowly looked up and found a large muscly man looking down at him. That wasn't the worst part. He had twin-tails and was wearing a magic girl outfit.

"You must be the devil-san that I summoned. Good evening, my name is Mil-tan. How are you? Nyoooo…" He spoke with a deep voice, though he tried to change his pitch.

"I-I'm Hyoudou Issei. Thank you for your summons. Shall I hear your w-wish?" He stuttered.

"Well, you see, I love watching Mahou-shoujo shows and I've come to the decision that I want to become one myself."

Issei had no idea how to explain that he wasn't capable of doing something like that. Mil-tan was certainly dismayed but Issei comforted him by assuring him that it was possible.

"Don't worry. It's possible. It's just that I don't know how to transform you so I'll talk with someone who can. I'll contact you when it's assured." Issei sheepishly patted his back.

Azazel was probably going to kill him later.

However, that was the least of his worries.

As promised, Issei had begun to train with Azazel, Rizevim, and Ezagyra. Azazel had taken the role of teaching him medical techniques and expanding his knowledge, like tactics. He wasn't even safe from schooling. Rizevim was teaching him magic and history necessary for the Underworld society. Ezagyra was teaching him martial arts.

Vali had taken the role of his sparring partner and critic.

His first lessons with Azazel were torture. He had to learn to recognize different plants that had medical properties and magical traits. He was also learning to build things from scratch, as well as forge his own equipment and weapons.

He was trying to make swords by putting them against a wheel, making sparks fly everywhere. He did his work inside the forge of the Lucifer home, as it was placed there since the days where said person lived here.

He'd spend hours hammering away at white-hot blades to the point that he didn't whether what was burning more: his arms or the fire.

Rizevim's lessons were a bit easier, mostly because he used words that he understood.

"You may not be a devil, but you're part of our society now that you're in Vali's Peerage. Therefore, you must learn the basics. All nobility in the devil bloodlines are automatically High-class. Low-class devils consist of the common folk, reincarnated humans, and devils who've had their status taken away. Mid-class devils are those who have done significant deeds and are in the process of becoming High-class. Ultimate-class devils are considered 'heroes' to the Underworld. They've done exemplary deeds or have obtained many victories in Rating Games." Rizevim pointed to a board illustrating such things.

Issei was taking notes, as he was being graded on this. He couldn't believe that this was happening to him. Even with Kuoh Academy being reduced to rubble, he still had to go to school. What the literal hell?

The magical lessons were much harder in contrast, but still understandable. Training outside, Rizevim placed a barrier around the area in case something went wrong.

The Training Yard had black stone grounds with magic fences, a river nearby, and even some ranges for long-range attack practice.

"Vali has taught you how to manipulate magic power, but not elemental power. Lefay has also told me that you learned a bit about human magic. Well, elemental magic has the same concept but it's just that it requires more work since its harder to create an element from pure energy. If there's the available element lying around, then it becomes more simple but we'll do it without you having any elements around." Rizevim smirked.

After hours and hours of training, he managed to make a fireball the size of a car but it wasn't as explosive enough for its size.

"You worry too much about the size, not the power. Watch this." Rizevim held his hand up and shot a fireball the size of his hand. The sphere exploded and left a massive burn mark on the ground, stretching 20 feet in radius, which was 4 times bigger than his.

"How do I bolster the power, then?" Issei asked.

"It has the same idea as magic energy. You just feed the fire with your magic energy instead of just maintaining the shape and form. You consolidate it and compress the energy in fire magic so that it hits a breaking point when it goes off, maximizing the explosive power."

Issei tried once more, taking Rizevim's advice.

He created another fireball in his hands, but he changed the size of the flame. He then remembered his dream about Bahamut. The flames that erupted across the land as it flew around in fury. He needed power like that. He wanted to reach that pinnacle.

The sphere compressed as Issei fed it more energy, feeling the heat within his palm as the power in his body coursed to it, like a cord feeding gas to a fire.

Releasing the sphere, it exploded, blowing charring wind into Issei and Rizevim's faces. A large cloud of fire and smoke roared into the air, stretching 12 feet high before dying down after Rizevim doused it with water magic.

"There we go. You've got the concept down. Next time, try making it larger, but repeat the process and compress the energy inside of it." He grinned.

Ezagyra's lessons were much more direct, but she gave him pointers while moving, providing immediate feedback.

"Since Vali has given you formal training, we'll be working on your form and refining your technique and experience. We'll start slow but soon enough, the training will get more serious." Ezayra warned.

"Understood." Issei then got into stance.

"Good. Now, show me what you can do right now." Ezagyra gestured for him to attack.

Gathering ki around his body, he rushed at her, closing the difference between them in seconds. Throwing a fist, Ezagyra smirked as she caught it before throwing him into the air with almost no care in the world.

"Wha?!"

Dashing behind him, Ezagyra punched him in the gut, causing him to cough and gasp as he was sent tumbling to the ground.

Following up with a diving kick, she came down like a meteor, crashing into Issei, he skidded along the ground with a painful grinding noise.

Staggering up, Issei shook off his disorientation. His entire backside was burning and stinging from the rough skid through the ground. Ezagyra certainly hit much harder than Vali and was much faster. She focused less on finesse and more on destructive force.

Issei assumed his initial approached and charged at Vali's Grandmother. She was sure that he was being stubborn but much to her delight, Issei did another approach. Gathering his ki, he created a burst of air that propelled him to the side. Covering his left fist in blue ki, he connected with Ezagyra's side, causing her to groan from the attack but it proved to be of little consequence.

She gathered demonic power in her right middle finger and flicked it at his chest, knocking the air out of him before sending him back into the ground again with a painful crash.

"You learned well from Vali, but you need to increase your strength and learn to adapt to the fighting styles of your opponents." Ezagyra stretched.

"And also, one of the goals of this training is to help you learn how to manifest Bahamut's Aura like how you did during the fight with Kokabiel."

Issei froze. He remembered what it exactly was that had allowed him to defeat Kokabiel, He recalled how his consciousness slipped into the back seat of his soul and a dangerous urge to destroy threats to his own existence had awakened. It was like his survival instincts went into overdrive.

"Just how do I do that?" He groaned.

"You need to dig into your soul. Luckily, your powers aren't at the point where it'll compel Bahamut to awake. If you plan on recovering the other pieces of the Set, then you need to learn to control your powers. If Bahamut were to possess you while you had the entire collection, we'd all be screwed. Also, you need to be aware that others _will_ come after you. A few know of Bahamut's true power. They won't sit idly by as you grow." Ezagyra advised.

Issei knew this all too well. It had become clear to him when he was being targeted for an attack.

"And just who exactly knows about him?"

"Odin, Zeus, Hades, Thor, Ra, Anubis, and several other deities had borne witness to his might. However, they're among the few that are reasonable about him. It was the fault of immortals and old supernatural entities that Bahamut raged out in the first place."

Issei then recalled the strange entity that had appeared in his dream. Perhaps now was the right time to talk about it.

"Miss Ezagyra, during the Great War, was there some sort of strange monster fighting?"

"Now now, you can just call me Ezagyra or Grandma. And by monster, what do you mean? There were all sorts." Ezagyra giggled.

"I mean a monster with many serpentine heads with several eyes on each one. It also had wings eight wings of different kinds. If were to describe, it kind of looked like an abomination."

Ezagyra's breath hitched.

"How did you know of such a thing?" Her expression becoming grim.

"I had a dream."

After describing what he recalled before waking up in the Lucifer Home after defeating Kokabiel, Ezagyra bit her lip in anxiety.

"Issei, concerning the monster that you dreamed about, I advise you not to talk about it with others. It's an old creature that appeared from the Void during the Great War. I was particularly young at the time so I don't know much about it, however, Rizevim refuses to talk about it."

"I understand."

Clearing her throat, Ezagyra then stood ready again.

"Now, enough talk. Let's continued the training."

* * *

True to everyone's word, as Issei improved, the training became much tougher. Not a day went by where he wasn't sore and tired from training. Fortunately, Vali and Lefay were there for support. Arthur was a great help too.

"Here, drink this." He gave Issei a cup of tea when he noticed the Host of Bahamut laying his head on the Dining Room table, clearly close to death after his last training session with Ezagyra.

"Thank you." He wheezed.

Sipping the warm drink, it tasted slightly bitter but the sweetness of cinnamon and honey became evident on his palette. Strength returned to his body and warmth washed away his fatigue.

"What is this?" He asked in delighted alarm.

"It's a herbal medicine used by the Pendragon Family. It's great for washing away exhaustion and completely restores you to normal conditions. However, it's a bad idea to drink more than one cup a day. It'll overwork your metabolism and burn you out. Side effects also include insomnia and hallucinations." Arthur recounted.

'_It sounds like your advertising your medicine._' Issei noted.

Suddenly, two soft hands began rubbing his shoulders, causing him to feel slightly uncomfortable before a soothing ease came over his muscles.

'_Whooaaa, I feel so much more relaxed._' He sighed.

"You've had it pretty tough the past few days. Azazel, Rizevim, and Lady Ezagyra have been cramming your training together, with all three working you at different times each day. Must be rough." Lefay gave him a sympathetic smile.

She had pretty much become a little sister to Issei, as she always showed him respect and he enjoyed doting on her. He often found himself spoiling her with some of his funds from contracts with humans.

"Here, I brought back some chocolate from the Human World." He hoisted up a bag before giving a bar to Lefay, who's eyes beamed up in delight.

"Thank you, Issei-sama!" She cheered.

"Oh, so you're the doting type, Issei-nya?" Kuroka smiled.

"I can't help it."

"You're probably gonna do that when you have kids one day." She giggled.

"Most likely." Issei laughed.

"Well, now that you're finally free Issei, you still need to go get a suit for the party tonight." Vali remembered with a gasp, dropping her chocolate.

Issei gasped as well, shooting up.

"Oh, crap!"

"Don't worry. Our family tailor can do it in an hour. The party's 5 hours away." She chuckled, amused by his reaction.

* * *

Vali took him into town and brought him to a tailor that worked for the Lucifer Family. He had grey hair sleeked back, green eyes, and a thick mustache on his face.

"Welcome, Lady Vali. What can I help you with, today?"

"My Pawn needs a suit ASAP. Think you can make a custom-fit?" She asked politely.

"It would be my pleasure. I do so enjoy making custom suits. It reminds me of my time in the Human World. Ufufufu." He chuckled.

Quickly, Issei picked out a black suit, with a selection of shirts to go with it.

When Vali saw him wearing it, she was impressed. He had gotten much taller, standing at 5'11. His hair had gotten slightly longer, though it didn't look messy. His features were much manlier, and he was very muscular now, though not to the point that he looked like a bodybuilder. All of the changes that the Abyssal Fury had done to him were now evident but not only that, but his training had bulked him up too.

"It looks great on you. I think that's a winner." Vali smiled.

"T-Thanks." Issei wasn't too sure as he never really had an outside opinion made on his appearance before.

"Sorry. I wanted to take you to get a suit alongside everyone else but you were so busy. I didn't want to waste money and just buy you a collection, either." Vali gave him an apologetic expression.

"Don't worry about it." He gave her his trademark smile, assuring her that everything was okay.

The two passed by a store and noticed that there was a commotion going on inside. Someone was complaining loudly inside, probably a customer. The owner of the store was bowing his head down as the customer was grinding his heel into the owner's head.

"What's with your shitty service, huh? I demanded for the suit to be made within the hour."

"I'm most sorry, Lord Zephydor. Our workers are experiencing difficulties meeting the demands of other customers. I beg for your forgiveness."

Issei was clearly disliking this guy by the minute. For a minute, he felt a small spark ignite in his heart, and it wasn't a gentle spark. It was angry.

"Who's that?"

"Zehpyrdor-Glasya Labolas. A High-Class devil of nobility. He's something of a delinquent and always lashes out at authority figures. His power isn't too special but he has some skill. Still, as a Lucifer, I'm not going to let him mistreat others." Vali walked inside the store.

As she walked in, all eyes moved to her, her aura of authority clear. Issei, however, knew that she was merely welling up the courage to behave this way, as people only saw her as 'The Princess' when she was like this.

"That's quite enough, Zephyrdor." She spoke with a confident voice.

"Oh? If it isn't the 'Princess'. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He jeered at her.

"I'll kindly ask you to remove your foot from that man's head and behave like a civil person. It's unfitting of someone of your status to behave this way; picking on others of different standing." Vali kept a polite tone.

"As if I care bout' what you say. You're just the descendant of a weak-willed clan that gave up power cus of pressure." He spat while refusing to obey Vali.

"Again, I'll warn you to stop causing trouble for our people." Vali spoke once more, however, there was some pressure radiating off of her.

"Piss off! I ain't doin jack-" Zephyrdor didn't get to finish as Vali zipped over to him and grabbed his collar. She barreled around and threw him out of the doorway before following after and kicking him into the air with her left leg before flying up and sending him back down with a fist to the face.

Landing gracefully, Vali brushed the dust off of her jacket before walking over to Zephyrdor.

"Sill want to bully others?" She asked.

The delinquent merely looked away, showing that he surrendered to her demands.

"Good." Vali turned away.

Walking back into the shop, she changed her serious expression to a more gentle one.

"Are you okay?" She helped the owner up.

"I can't thank you enough, Princess Validia. I wasn't sure of how much more I could take." He exhaled.

"If he bothers you or any other business, let me know. I'll also take care of making sure these damages are dealt with." Vali smiled, dazzling everyone inside.

Issei merely grinned, impressed by benevolence. Not even he was invulnerable to her charms. She walked back to him with a sheepish look.

"Sorry about that. I just hate bullies."

"I think it was really cool, what you did back there." He admitted. He knew why Vali must hate them. It was likely because of her abusive past. That also got him thinking about a new thought, one that bothered his curiosity to no end.

"Say, I wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah?" She looked at him.

"As Princess of the Underworld and all, are there any suitors for you? I was curious about Underworld affairs."

Vali's face went slightly pink.

"No. Grandma declared that all marriage proposals are to be rejected. She said that if I wanted a marriage partner, I needed to look for one myself." She confessed.

"Oh, so that means Sairaorg?" He chuckled. He never noticed it, but within recent times, he became much more willing to crack jokes and laugh about.

"WHA-? Not you too!" She cried out, looking appalled.

"Sorry. I just noticed how you two behave around each other. You blush in each other's presence. You flirt, you joke a lot, and you stutter whenever you two complement each other. I think we all see it too." Issei admitted.

"Guh! Issei-kun, why would you feel the need to say this in public?" She growled.

"Well, it's true, right?"

"Geez, you're just as bad as Kuroka!" She stomped away.

"Ah!" Issei reached his hand out to stop her but she already walked away, making him sigh. Now he needed to apologize.

Following her tracks to a park, he found her sitting on a bench, pouting.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Will you forgive your friend?" He knelt and clapped his hands together.

He knew that playing the 'friend' card would work on her.

"Fine." She sighed.

Feeling slightly relieved, he sat next to her.

"Is it really so embarrassing to admit that you like someone?" He asked.

"It's just embarrassing when others voice your own thoughts and feelings for you."

"So you do like him?"

Vali paused, remaining silent for a few moments. Issei had noticed that when the subject of romance came up, she looked slightly pained, like when they were at the restaurant.

"Yeah. I do."

"Mind telling me the story?"

"Fine. Since you're my best friend, I'll tell you." Vali bit her lip.

"I thought Kuroka was your best friend." Issei chuckled.

"I think of Kuroka as a big sister, to be exact. Anyways, the story is simple. After my Grandpa adopted me, I came here to live with him. I was around 7 at the time. I was a shut-in for a while. I refused to interact with others and I was constantly afraid of everything. I was scared of giving too much trust because I was afraid that I'd get hurt in return. I didn't want to have hope if it meant that I might lose it. Then, one day, I met a young Sairaorg who had suffered discrimination similar to mines. Grandpa brought him over to play with me and soon enough, he broke me out of my shell. He showed me that if I stayed to myself forever, I'd never learn what sort of happiness that existed in the outside world. After a long time, I finally began to warm up and I began to change into who I am now. I also saw how generous and strong he was. He's so independent and always does what he can for others. I think that's what developed my feelings for him." Vali fondly noted.

"Then why do you look like you're in pain when you talk?"

"I don't know. I guess the reason is small. He has so many suitors who are after him. It makes me nervous. I lack the confidence to properly confess my feelingsShe admitted.

"You never know. Perhaps he's into you. Sairaorg seems like a great man based on what I've seen and been told. You don't find guys like him often. If anything, you'll never know how he feels if you don't make any moves. It'll just be slow torture for you." Issei then blinked.

Just where did those words come from? Those weren't in his train of thought!

Vali sat still, remaining silent before sighing. She then smiled at him.

"Thanks, Issei but I think I'll wait a bit longer. I want to discern my feelings first, then I'll make a move." She promised.

Issei may not have known abuse like Vali, but he was much more of an expert than she was on loneliness. At least people acknowledged that she existed. With him, nobody even noticed that he was ever in the room, at least until he joined her Peerage.

Recalling his old life in the Human World, Issei decided that perhaps he'd help her along. It was just far too painful to be alone, especially with a past like hers. Since he owed his life to her twice, he decided that perhaps this was one thing that he could help speed along, even if it was meddlesome of himself. Then again, it was just another side that he didn't show to others. However, first, he had to confirm a few things.

* * *

Later that night…

Issei was still unsure of himself when he was in his suit. It was black and he was wearing a navy shirt with a black tie, accompanied by black shoes.

Did he look terrible? Was he going to embarrass Vali? Was he going to make a fool of himself? Was he gonna get bothered by nobility? There were so many insecurities going on in his head that it was making him nervous.

Finally, he gave up and just decided to shrink into the background. He was just a lowly pawn, so others would just ignore him. He compared himself to the reputations of the others and it made him realize his standing.

Bikou, Arthur, and Lefay were descendants of heroes and legends. Kuroka was a famous devil for her skill in senjutsu and magical prowess. Vali, well she didn't need any description.

The thought was depression but he didn't submit to it. He wasn't going to allow himself to remain some nobody forever.

Before the party, however, was the meeting with the Four Maou. As the traditional Rating Game between Young Devils was happening soon, it was also customary for this to happen.

Standing in front of the four Maou, Issei was standing with his Peerage as Vali was in front.

Now that he looked at her much more closely, he found that she was breathtakingly beautiful. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, she had silver earrings with blue gems, there were silver high-heels on her feet, and she had a blue dress that reached mid-calf. The V-neck reached just below her clavicle, since she wasn't fond of showing too much skin. The dress was sleeveless, though, so it wasn't completely unbearable to her.

Sirzechs sat majestically on his throne while making a small smile, though there was a serious glint in his eyes.

Ajuk Beelzebub was tall with pale blue eyes and his green hair was sleeked back, so he seemed a bit more modern by how he carried himself.

Next to him, was a twin-tailed woman with black hair and violet eyes. She was significantly shorter than the others and had a livelier aura. This woman was Serafall Leviathan, the strongest woman of the Underworld.

Last, was Falbium Asmodeus, a bald man with a goatee but he retained a youthful appearance but he maintained a lazy posture.

Aside from those four, several other elder devils were seated above, watching all of the young devils with piercing eyes.

"Now that the time for the Young Devils to compete draws near, we would be interested to hear your dreams. The youth are our future, after all. Who knows, perhaps your dreams can be granted if you win the Young Rating Game." Sirzechs smiled at everyone.

"Let us start with introductions." Serafall spoke up.

"I am Seekvaira Agares, Heir to the Agares Clan. My goal is to succeed my clan and bring my family to greater heights." A beautiful bespectacled young woman with long hair, wearing a cream dress and white high-heels stepped up. She had a confident tone and calculating eyes, not unlike Sona's.

"I am Zephyrdor-Glasya Labolas, Heir to the Glasya-Labolas Clan. My goal is to succeed my Clan and expand our world of business and influence." He walked up and politely introduced himself, which was quite a new sight to Issei.

"Yes, I've heard that the Glasya Labolas Clan is undergoing several changes in creations. A most ambitious goal." One elder chuckled.

"I am Rias Gremory, Heir to the Gremory Clan. My goal is to succeed my Clan and dominate the Rating Games."

"I am Sona Sitri, Heir to the Sitri Clan. My goal is to create a Rating Game School for devils and beings of all social standings."

"Oh? Quite a noble goal." Sirzechs mused. He approved of her dream, though he wasn't going to state it, since many would view it as some sort of favoritism.

"Ahaha! That's quite a dream. Mayhaps, it might one day come to fruition." One elder mockingly stated.

"Sona Sitri, I believe that you know that there is a Rating Game School within the Academy already, correct? Why add to it?" Another questioned.

"It is because I want to spread and teach the joy of the Rating Games to others. To create competition and increase the drive to better oneself." Sona replied calmly, though her eyes showed how upset she was.

"Even so- " Someone was about to interject until…

"Now, now. These are dreams. All of which have the potential of turning into reality. Let's not discourage them, as we said before. These youths are our future." Serafall cheerfully perked up, however, she leered across the room, daring anyone to continue making fun of her little sister.

"I am Diadora Astaroth, Heir to the Astaroth Clan. My goal is to succeed my clan and continue my family line."

"I am Sairaorg Bael, Heir to the Bael Clan. My goal is to become a Maou."

"A member of the Great King Clan wants to leave his post and become a Maou?"

"Quite surprising, I say. Though the price of leaving the Great King Rank may not be worth it, boy." One elder said.

Sairaorg merely ignored them. He didn't care for what these old farts said. He cared more about what the Maou thought.

"I am Validia Lucifer, Heir to the Lucifer Clan. My goal is to abolish discrimination in the Underworld."

Several tongues clicked at her remark, which didn't go unnoticed. Many enjoyed their current lifestyle and Vali's dream went against that, as it was almost tradition for discrimination within social classes in the Underworld.

"A far-fetched dream, perhaps." Someone spoke up.

"Perhaps another goal?"

Sirzechs and Serafall scowled at everyone else to silence their tongues, causing the entire room to become quiet.

Issei had a tick mark manifest on his forehead, though he suppressed it before it became noticeable.

Why did these old coots find it so fun to be condescending? He may not be a devil, but he didn't need to be, in order to see what sorts of power-hungry slobs were here. Vali sensed his irritation and gave him a look, telling him to calm down. It was surprising that she could read the emotion in his eyes without him changing his expression.

"Hm, that's a far-sighted goal. One that will take quite a large amount of time and work to accomplish, though it isn't impossible. It'll be interesting to see what will happen." Sirzechs commented. It was his way of showing his support for her dream.

When that was over, the Young Devils were allowed to leave, as the party was going to start next. However, Issei was stopped before he left the room.

"Could we have a moment, please?" Ajuka Beelzebub walked over to him and Vali.

"How might we be of service, Lord Beelzebub?" Vali and Issei bowed.

"I wanted to check on your Pawn's Evil Pieces for safety reasons." He gave a small smile.

Putting his hand over Issei's torso, where his Pieces were, a magic circle appeared. After a few minutes, Ajuka looked intrigued.

"Well, this is unheard of. It looks like all eight of your Pawn Pieces are [Mutation Pieces]."

The answer was obvious, but Vali and Issei was still surprised.

"What?!"

"My formulas don't lie. All eight are mutated and now have an undetermined value. That can only mean one thing."

Vali and Issei had grim faces displayed, making Ajuka laugh lightly.

"Don't worry. It only means that your Pawn is either already very powerful, or his potential is so great that it may have caused something of a glitch. Though he may not be a devil, this still means much."

Without another word, Ajuka allowed the two to leave.

When Issei gathered with everyone down at the Hall where the party was being held, he was surprised that Vali wasn't there.

"Where's Vali?" He asked Kuroka.

"She's appearing with Rizevim and Ezagyra later. It's tradition for the Lucifer Family to arrive independently to the scene, even if they don't control the Underworld anymore. It was the Lucifer Line that created this world, after all. Hence, why they command so much respect."

He looked around and was impressed by the decorations placed everywhere. The room itself was like one giant pale blue square. Glass chandeliers hung from the ceilings and large pillars supported the foundations of the building. Flags of several different families were hung on poles, commemorating them. At one end of the room was the door, and at the other was something akin to where a throne would be, except there were numerous chairs placed there.

Soon enough, Sirzechs walked out to the front, wearing his ceremonial robes, including the large pauldrons.

"I welcome each and every single one of you to the Underworld today, for today, we celebrate the end of old feuds in favor of a brighter future. Angels, devils, fallen angels, and gods have come together to socialize and gain better understanding of each other. Thus, the Council of the Alliance invites you to drink, dance, feast, and to enjoy the night away." Sirzechs smiled as he turned to the side.

True to his word, Michael, Azazel, and several other beings of different pantheons were in the room, looking around with large expectations.

"And also, please welcome the former leaders of our home, Rizevim Livan Lucifer, Ezagyra Lucifer, and their granddaughter, the Princess of the Underworld, Validia Lucifer."

Applause echoed as some cheers came out.

"I am honored to be invited to such an important event. I have lived countless years and it pleases me to see that peace has finally been achieved after so many pointless years of mistrust and old grudges. I hope to whatever higher power there is, that this Alliance never ends."

Rizevim raised a glass as everyone drank a toast.

* * *

With that said, the orchestra began to play as several people broke into conversation. Issei looked around and noticed that almost everyone here was nobility. That made him nervous.

He walked around and stopped when he met up with someone that he recognized from the Summit.

"Ah, I believe that your name is Hyoudou Issei-kun, right? How are you doing? My name is Shidou Irina."

"I'm doing fine. How are you?"

"I'm the same. I wanted to thank you for saving my life. If it wasn't for you, who knows what Kokabiel might've done to us." She cheerfully bowed.

"Ah, Irina, I see that you've met a fellow dragon." Michael walked over.

"Greetings, Lord Michael. I am Hyoudou Issei. It is a great honor to meet you."

"Hello, Issei-kun. I want to express my gratitude to you as well. I never expected Kokabiel to pull such a stunt on all of us, though that's in the past. Ah, that reminds me, allow me to introduce you to some new information. Irina is the current Sekiryuutei." He gestured to the girl.

"Eh?" He looked at her in alarm. That automatically made her Vali's rival, then.

"Rest assured, I have no intentions of fighting the Hakuryuukou. We're now allies, after all." Irina chuckled.

"Also, I've been meaning to talk to you about your Sacred Gear. Has it been behaving strangely?" Michael looked at him with a worried expression.

"No. Is there a reason to be alarmed?" Issei lied. He knew something was wrong, but he didn't want to set any alarms off.

"It's just that the Sacred Gear that you have can be a bit peculiar at times." He hinted.

"Lord Michael, I beg of you, can you tell me about what's being hidden from me?" Issei asked. Now he was feeling desperate. Ever since he awoke his Sacred Gear, he felt that others had been hiding information from him and it was really starting to bother him.

"I really don't know, myself. I just know that some wielders went into the trance that you entered while fighting Kokabiel. I'm sorry that I don't have any more knowledge." He put a gentle hand on Issei's shoulder and gave a pitying smile.

Giving a nod of gratitude, Issei walked away.

He retreated to a corner and sat down, drinking some water.

"Ah, Issei-kun, how are you?" A familiar voice called out.

He turned to see who it was and surprisingly enough, it was Sairaorg. He was wearing a black suit with a white shirt underneath, including a gold bowtie.

"I'm good. How are you doing?" He casually spoke.

"Doing well. I heard that Zephyrdor was causing trouble in town earlier."

"Yeah, but Vali dealt with it."

"I'm not surprised. She never reacts well to bullying, not that anyone should let it pass."

"True enough. How's the party going for you?"

"Er…okay, I guess."

Suddenly, a small crowd of girls came into view, making Sairaorg wince.

"Oh, come on. Sorry, Issei-kun, I gotta get moving again." He wasted in no time to get up and leave in upset exasperation.

Much to his surprise, the crowd of women walked over to him.

"Excuse me, but have you seen Sairaorg Bael?" One of them giggled.

"Oh, he went that way." He pointed in the completely opposite direction that said man went.

Sairaorg had been watching nervously but when Issei pointed in the opposite direction, he was surprised. Walking back over there, Sairaorg gave him a grateful look.

"I owe you."

"Anytime." Issei laughed.

"So, Vali told me something about you."

Now he felt a bit surprised.

"Is it something embarrassing?"

"No. It's quite deep actually."

"What is it about?"

"She told me that you were alone almost all of your life. She's told me that you happen to give off a distant exterior even though you're really cool and fun on the inside. I believe it." Sairaorg laughed in a positive way.

Issei was slightly perturbed that she said that to someone.

"Still, I have to say that it's better to reveal who you really are rather than hide it. If you do that, you're real friends will show themselves and then you can break out of loneliness." Sairaorg gave him a pat on the back.

"Haha! That sounds true. I'll give it a shot. Although, that brings me to a new question." Issei turned to his new friend.

After much thinking that he did himself, Issei decided to unshackle some hidden parts of himself that he had tucked away in his heart.

"Go ahead." Sairaorg nodded as he drank some juice.

"Do you like Vali?"

Spewing the juice out of his mouth and coughing, Issei hit his back to help his coughing fit.

"W-What?!" He looked at Issei, taken aback.

"Just asking. You two seem to have that dynamic. The way you blush around her and flirt with her." Issei recounted, smirking, knowing he won.

"Okay, fine. Just stop saying that so loudly." Sairaorg covered his mouth to cease his talking.

The Heir of the Bael Clan sighed.

"I'm not exactly sure, yet. For a long time, I always felt that she was special. She's kind, cheerful, and beautiful. She's been through a lot and I find myself always wanting to help her. She's become a special person to me. I do start to feel different around her but…I just don't know what kind of different." He grumbled.

"Well, if you don't try to find out, the matter will always bother you because you'll never know." Issei remarked.

To be honest, he was scared of himself. He had never known that he had a secret matchmaker within his soul.

"Has that happened to you before?" Sairaorg asked.

"Well, no, however, I do know what it's like to want to say something but having wasted the chance." Issei shrugged.

"I see." Sairaorg decided to take Issei's words into account, now understanding that he had been taking too long to sort out how he felt.

"Still, I'm not telling you to do anything. It's your life and your choice after all."

Issei then noticed that Vali was coming this way.

"I'll be back, I've gotta use the bathroom."

Leaving Sairaorg protesting, Issei walked into the bathroom, though he didn't need to use it.

Suddenly, all of the air left his lungs and he began to feel weaker. Supporting himself using a wall, he waited a few minutes before the feeling went away again. This was the third time that this happened to him.

'_What's going on with me?_' He clutched his heart, which had been beating like crazy not too long ago. It was painful and it felt like his heart was going to burst. His head was also pulsing.

After calming down and washing his face, he exited the bathroom to find that Sairaorg was dancing with a noblelady, though he looked polite. Vali, however…she was quickly evading every man that wanted to dance with her. It was already clear why too. He had already heard several men talking like perverts. Deciding to help her out, Issei walked over.

"Would you care for a dance?" Issei offered a hand.

"I would." Vali gave her hand, making a relieved expression.

The two moved to the dance floor and started a slow waltz.

"So, Sairaorg told me that somebody has spoken about my inner self." Issei laughed.

Vali blushed.

"Well, he wanted to know what kind of guy you were since you were being a bit distant with him. He's a friendly guy to those that he likes. Don't worry, I have no dirty secrets to tell." She giggled.

"Still, I wanted to talk to you about where we left off."

Vali froze, feeling embarrassed.

"W-Why are you so interested?"

"Because I don't want my friends to end up living lonely lives like I did." Issei admitted.

Vali's expression changed to a more blank one, surprised by his sudden honest comment.

"Even if I do feel that way, Sairaorg's so dense that he can't notice. I-I also lack the confidence for this sort of thing." She stuttered.

"Then allow me to help you. I'm your best friend, after all, aren't I?"

Vali sighed.

"I have a bad feeling about this." She groaned.

"It's fine. Once the Rating Games are over between the Young Devils, we'll start planning." Issei chuckled.

When the party was finally over, Vali and her other childhood friends gathered to talk before leaving.

"Well, starting in a few weeks, we'll be facing off." Sairaorg smirked.

"Don't expect me to pull any punches. Our dreams are on the line, after all." Sona smiled challengingly.

"The same goes for me. This is the first step to my dream so I'm going all out." Rias crossed her arms.

"As much as I'd prefer not to, I think this is a bridge I'd rather cross now. Let's just make sure nothing's personal. I'll see you all at the Rating Games." Vali declared.

Issei looked up at the stars, deep in thought. If a Rating Game battle was to start against the other youths, then he needed to get stronger.

It was time to go to the North and find the 3rd Piece of the 'Calamity Catalyst'.

* * *

_**Boy, I haven't written that long of a chapter in a while. I hope it was enjoyable. Again, I want to remind everyone that Vali x Sairaorg is not the real pairing in this story. I don't want anyone to jump to conclusions and assume that they're dating. Only future chapters will tell that. **_

_**Also, look forward to the Rating Games Arc between the Young Devils. But first, let's watch Issei go grab the next piece of his Sacred Gear set. Till next chapter. **_


	7. Chapter 7: Home of the Dragon Banes

_**Well, it's time for fun and time for adventure because it's time for Issei to go get the 3**__**rd**__** piece of Exodi-, er, I mean the 'Calamity Catalyst'. So, we'll now begin the next part of the story.**_

* * *

**Arc 2: Of Blades and Dragons**

**Chapter 7: Home of the Dragon Banes**

Issei had spent several weeks training already with Rizevim and the others, and he wasn't sure if he would survive more of it. However, it was no understatement that Issei had gotten much stronger within the past few weeks, which was scary to his mentors. His growth was unprecedented, being close to prodigious. Of course, it could be contributed to Issei's unending hard work and admirable dedication.

Now it had come to the point that Issei needed to deal with the next objective on his agenda. He needed to go to the North, and increase his Sacred Gear Arsenal.

He sat down with Rizevim and Ezagyra, who he felt, should know about what he planned to do.

"What did you want to talk about, Issei?" Rizevim sipped his coffee calmly while sitting in the Dining Room.

"I wanted to let you know about what I plan to do." Issei gulped.

"Go on." Ezagyra smiled at him encouragingly.

"I'm going to the Lands of the North to claim Bahamut's 3rd Sacred Gear."

Rizevim sputtered his coffee, spewing it everywhere as he choked and coughed in agony.

Ezagyra's smile faltered.

The two agreed that Issei should get stronger, but they didn't want to risk the end of the universe again. They had faith in the boy's strength of character, but still, against Bahamut's single-minded rage, it was a questionable debate.

The couple looked at each other, nodding, agreeing that they needed to tell Issei more.

"Issei, we've been thinking about your Sacred Gear and have conceived some theories." Ezagyra began.

"We believe that with more pieces added to complete the Sacred Gear Set, it just might wake up Bahamut. With each piece, you'll get stronger, but it could also do the same for the Calamity Dragon." Rizevim reasoned.

Issei understood what they meant. He truly did, but he felt that it was necessary to complete the set, as the tablet had been his only true information on it. Even Azazel and Michael confirmed that there was no trickery in its creation. The tablet was left behind by the Creator.

The tablet had relayed to him about the importance of completing the armor. It had warned him that a new unforeseen threat was coming, and only the full power of the 'Calamity Catalyst' could stop it.

"So you're afraid that I can't handle his rampage?" Issei asked.

"No. We just don't want anything to happen to you. With the past 3 months that we've known you, you've become like a grandson to us. We don't want you getting hurt." Ezagyra leaned forward.

"I thank you for that. I really do. I've never known my grandparents because they all passed away before I was born. If anything, you two are like grandparents to me, caring for me and treating me like family. However, this matter concerns me directly. If I have power, then I need to use it. If there's more of it, than I need it. If something is coming and I'm the one to stop it, then I will. That's why I've been training up to this point. I have this power for a reason." Issei boldly declared.

The two elders sighed.

"Very well, we grant you permission to go. We'll arrange for you to go to Asgard first so that Odin can make sure that you arrived safely. He may be frivolous at times, but he's a genuinely great man. You can trust him." Rizevim nodded.

Packing his things into a bag, Issei brought only clothes, survival equipment, and a few essentials, should he need them. He was about to leave in a magic circle until he felt a finger tap his shoulder. He looked up, knowing who it was that was behind him.

He slowly creaked around and lurched back.

"Issei-kun, tell us why you were planning to leave us behind while going so far up North without saying anything?" Vali looked at him with crossed arms and a raised brow.

The entire Peerage had come along, with bags packed. They all looked at him with reprimanding expressions, clearly upset.

"W-We-Well, I, uh…" He stammered.

"I brought them along, so you'll have to forgive me for that." Azazel walked out of the shadows, grinning.

"Why?"

"Who knows who you'll meet when you get there. If somebody knows that you're the host of Bahamut, they'll most likely want to make use of you. Hence, why we're all tagging along. For this visit, we're going to pass it off as a training trip and an attempt to learn more about the other pantheons. However, Odin, Thor, and Heimdall know about why we're truly going." Azazel explained.

"And when we get found out?" Issei deadpanned.

"We'll be fine." Azazel waved away his worries.

With no more distractions, the group left.

* * *

Teleporting into a large stone area with a fountain, Issei was astounded by what he saw. He was surrounded by several large elevated levels of towns and homes, with a long river of shining water flowing endlessly down the land. Much to his shock, where the group was standing on was just one large floating island connected by bridges of crystal and ice to other islands.

"This is the land of Asgard, home of the Norse Gods. It's a real nice place, and its open for vacations with the Alliance." Azazel merrily laughed. He had been eyeing an opportunity to have a resort vacation here.

"Welcome to Asgard, my humble home!" An old but muscular man with a metal eyepatch that had a monocle embedded within, walked over. He had blue and gold robes over a white outfit. His hair and beard was long, reaching to his torso. In his hands was a staff with a large blue gem at the top.

"Glad to see you again, old-geezer."

"Heh, you finally came in time for dinner, brat!"

Azazel's face then made a downward expression.

"Eir isn't cooking again, is she?"

"No." Odin answered with a serious expression.

The two patted each other's backs as they laughed.

"You don't have to worry too much about instant fights here. Most of the deities are rather laid-back here because of Odin's influence." Vali explained.

"You've been here before?" Issei asked, surprised.

"Yeah, for training." She replied.

Odin led them to a tall building that looked like a palace of crystal. Flags of the Norse flapped in the wind, standing tall as if watching over the land.

Entering the Palace, walls of white stone, golden pillars, and marble floors constituted the building. It was a grand sight that was worthy of those that lived within its walls.

"Before anything, let's have dinner!" Odin gestured to two doors that parted as they neared.

A private Dining Room with a gold table, gold utensils, and chairs of utmost comfort were placed. A chandelier hung on the ceiling but instead of candles and glass, it had one crystal ball that gave off light that brightened the entire room.

Seating themselves, Odin sat down and turned to the guards.

"Leave us and seal the doors. I wish to speak to my guests in private." He smiled.

As was ordered, his guards did so.

"Now, there is much to tell you before I send you on your way to the Kingdom of the Dragon Slayers. However, first, I wish to talk to someone." Odin turned his gaze towards Issei.

"I am well aware of the entire truth behind Bahamut. I was one of the ones who helped break him apart and seal him."

Upon the All Father's words, Issei clutched his heart, he felt a strong pulse beat there, causing some pain and discomforting anger. Seeing this reaction, Odin nodded.

"So it seems that you awakened some of his power." He concluded.

"I have, Lord Odin."

"His anger is deep and almost unchanged. I want to know why you wish to gain the other pieces."

"I need more power. My master has a wish and I will do all that I can to grant it. As I am now, I am of no true help to her. I don't want to rely on the Soul of Bahamut. I want to use my own strength that I earned with my own hands. I owe my master my life twice over. I cannot let that debt remained unsettled." Issei confessed.

Odin started to chuckle before bellowing in laughter.

"Hm. Ufufufu. Ahahahaha!"

Issei looked at him, feeling as if he were being mocked.

"A truly idealistic speech. Words of a boy that has yet to see the ugliness of the world. However…" Odin then gave him a heartwarming smile.

"It just means that your heart is in the right place and it shows that you're a man of integrity and dignity."

"Alright, on to the next important bit. The Kingdom of the Dragon Slayers is reclusive. They reside several miles north of Asgard, close to Jotunheim. They don't bother others, nor do they ask for help. At the moment, they are in conflict with a dragon clan that's in the vicinity. There hasn't been any reported deaths, but it's getting to that point. They have a deep sense of honor, however, so they don't attack unless attacked. Still, make sure not to overstep your authority in front of them. They don't take kindly to rude people." Odin warned.

"Also, they all have magic and skills aimed towards dragon-slaying. Fortunately, they only deal with Evil dragons and rabid beasts. In a sense, they're a monarchy of militaristic mercenaries. I've sent them a message explaining that you will arrive tomorrow. They have agreed to receive you. In exchange, you must obey their laws."

"I understand." Issei nodded.

"Now, let us feast!" The King of Asgard clapped his hands.

Platters of roast pork, smoked fish, assorted stews, au gratin potatoes, and several other grand foods were loaded onto the table.

"Eat to your heart's content, my children! It has been much too long since we've had guests to have fun with." Odin made a toothy grin.

When dinner was done, Issei felt like exploding. Odin insisted on making him stuff his face so that he'd have strength for tomorrow. He was lying in his guest room, which had a window view of the waters of Asgard, which were shining like glass. The sounds of the river were soothing, in a way. It helped him relax and sleep.

He was slightly nervous, as he wondered how the Dragon Slayers would react if they knew that he was Bahamut's host. Would they kill him or would they do something worse? He wasn't sure but he had to be ready. It was a good thing that he brought a few contingency items if events came to that.

* * *

That night, Azazel and Odin were drinking some of the finest aged wine from his cellar.

"To think that we'd see another host to Bahamut." Azazel chuckled at the nonexistent humor.

"It's been about 3 decades, I believe." Odin sipped his goblet.

"Last time, that person had the left gauntlet, I believe?"

"Yeah."

"What do you think of the boy?" Azazel asked.

"He's idealistic and slightly naïve but…he's also proven himself to be earnest, hardworking, and loyal. I think out of all of Bahamut's past holders, he's the most likeable." Odin smirked.

"When I trained him, I was astonished by how quickly he learned. He knew things that I never suspected him of knowing. I think that there's something that I need to look into. I want to know where that knowledge came from." Azazel's expression became grim.

"I know that one thing's for sure. A great change is coming. A whole lot of drama too. That Issei-boy will be the start of it." Odin gave him a comforting smile.

"Let's hope it's good change."

The next morning, the group was about to leave through a magic circle, but before they did, several deities had come to see them off. Issei was utterly nervous to be in the presence of so many powerful beings.

A woman wearing a cream-colored dress with a red scarf, brown hair, gold eyes, and royal ornaments walked over.

"Please take this with you, child. It may prove to be important to you one day. When, I cannot say, but always keep it with you at all times." She handed Vali a crystal orb attached to a necklace.

"Thank you, Lady Frigga." Vali smiled and hugged her.

A beautiful woman with long light green hair with a wreath of Linum flowers in her hair walked up. She wore a white dress and golden bands around her arms, with gold shoes.

"Take these. It will help heal you and restore you to full health." The Goddess Eir gave Lefay a box containing 7 bottles of clear green liquid.

"Thank you very much, Lady Eir."

"The road ahead is wrought with combat, but be assured, that as long as you stay on your toes, you'll be fine. I'm the God of War after all." Odin chuckled.

"Thank you very much, Lord Odin." Azazel and company bowed before leaving.

After they disappeared, Frigg looked at her husband.

"Are you sure it's a wise idea to let the boy gain more of Bahamut's power?" She asked, clearly worried.

"It's better this way. One way or another, Bahamut's mind will compel him to become stronger. We don't know when catastrophe will strike so we must be ready. Sometimes, if we struggle to avoid our fates too often, then it will come back 1,000 times worse." He sighed.

"That's awfully wise of you to say. It's been a few decades since you've been so wise." Frigga chuckled.

"I guess I'm just getting old." He mused.

"That's not so bad." Frigga leaned onto his shoulder.

* * *

The group arrived in front of a snowy fortress, which was like one sealed off uphill area that had different levels of streets designed in a spiraling circle, leading up to higher floors. However, the problem was that it was broken and torn away by time, looking devoid of any sort of life.

"Wow! It's really snowy here." Bikou remarked.

"At least we got these nice cloaks to keep us warm." Kuroka replied.

Vali wasn't paying attention to them, however. She was fiddling with the necklace that Frigga gave her. She didn't know what it did but when she asked about it, she wouldn't answer. It made her curious as to what it was for.

"I am Azazel, I have come as Odin of Asgard announced in his message. We come harboring no hostile intentions and have come to speak with the King of this Land." Azazel spoke out loud to the gate of ice.

The metal gates slowly creaked open, causing cold air to pour out from behind the confined wall of protection. Two guards walked out from behind and stood with cautious postures. They wore white armor with red dragons coiling around a sword on their chestplates and pauldrons.

"You may enter. Follow us."

When the group crossed the boundary between the outside and the inner walls of the Kingdom, everything changed. It was like walking through a kaleidoscope. Frozen wastelands and an old fortress taken by cold age shifted to warm and sunny lands, complete with grassy plains that scattered the area. In the distance was a large and mighty castle that beamed with life.

"Illusion magic?" Issei guessed after looking at the severe difference between the outside and inside.

The party was led down a stone road that spanned through several towns and eventually went up-hill, leading to the castle that they saw. It was like the one they saw outside, but it wasn't broken down. It looked as good as new.

Outside of the castle, were statues of dragons and knights, all designed and made with utmost skill. It was as if they gave strength to the defense of the realm. The doors to the castle were 10 times the size of anyone present. The inside of the castle

"King Vorda is waiting for you. Remember, any suspicious activity, and we will respond with deadly force." One knight warned them as the entrance opened.

Inside of the castle, the floors were checkered, with numerous paintings honoring past Dragon Slayers, were hung up. Enchanted torches were lit around the entire building and several intricate designs were made into the interior. Stairs that led up to higher levels were on each side of the room, with one hallway stretching from the other side of the room.

They were led straight down that path by a squad of 8 Dragon Knights. They had unique weapons and armor stylized to emulate dragon, and they all gave off an enchanted aura. They sent dangerous chills down Issei's and Vali's spines since they were the most vulnerable to their attacks.

Going down the hall, they arrived outside of the Throne Room. It had the symbol of a dragon underneath crown and was put on a heavy red door.

"We will be watching you. If you so much as threaten the King and Queen, expect us in the room." A female Dragon Knight warned.

Walking inside, the Throne Room had several pillars within, alongside several seats for those with audience with the monarchs. Paintings of past kings and queens decorated the room along with statues.

At the far end of the room, sat a middle-aged man with a pointed brown beard and mustache. His hair was long enough to reach his shoulders, and he wore golden kingly armor with purple accents. His eyes were brown and he gave off an aura of authority and wisdom.

The Queen looked like she was in her early thirties, with red hair, grey eyes, a fit and lithe body with a red dress, silver and gold jewelry, and a diamond crown fit for one of her station. She had a calm but strict feeling emanating from her.

"Hail, King Vorda and Queen Qylna. We are honored to be allowed within your realm." Azazel politely kneeled on one knee. The others followed suit.

"You may rise, Fallen Angel Governor, Azazel. Odin has told me of your purpose. However, I must ask that you all vacate the room. I have business with one person alone." The King spoke.

King Vorda looked at Vali and Issei. He could sense a dragon's spirit within them but he wasn't sure of which one that it was that was in needed of their most guarded treasure.

Issei remained kneeling, knowing that it was him that was going to be questioned. Everyone else left the room, though they were nervous to leave him alone with an unknown person. The doors closed shut with a loud thud, leaving an awkward silence.

"You may rise and seat yourself before me." King Vorda motioned to a chair in front of the stairs to his throne.

"My gratitude, Your Majesty." Issei bowed.

"Why do you come to my home?" He asked. His tone was serious and stern.

"I have come to fulfill a mission. I wish to request obtaining the Left Gauntlet of the Abyssal Dragon, 'The Draconic Arsenal'." Issei declared.

King Vorda's brow arched.

"Why should I grant you the most closely guarded object within the entire kingdom?" He asked, leaning forward.

"I have been warned of a threat that warrants the gathering of the Abyssal Dragon's armor. It was left here, by its maker long ago. I humbly request for it." Issei bowed his head.

"Just who are you?" Queen Qylna asked. She was much more soft in tone, but her eyes were just as intimidating.

"My name is Issei Hyoudou. I am a human male from Japan. I am a member of the Lucifer House from the Underworld in the Biblical Pantheon. I am the current host to Bahamut's Soul and his Right Gauntlet." He admitted.

He remembered the message in the Tablet telling him not to lie to the King and Queen, for it would complicate matters.

"What prove do you have? We have been trusted with keeping watch over the Left Gauntlet of Bahamut for eons. None have come to claim it before. Why now? What proof do you have?" King Vorda inquired.

Issei took out the crystal cross with the coiled dragon.

The monarchs' widened in realization to his truth. They relaxed and sighed.

"Very well. We were told by the Lord that one day, someone would come and claim the forbidden power in preparation of a coming evil. That object alone is proof, as it cannot be duplicated or even forged by anyone. It is the sole version of its kind. However, that alone isn't enough to let me relinquish the Right Gauntlet to you." The King stood up.

"What must I do to prove myself?" Issei asked, though he knew the answer.

"Duel with one of my most trusted Dragon Knights. Should you at least make a draw, then I will allow you to have what you seek." King Vorda snapped his fingers.

A Dragon Knight descended from the ceiling. Issei could tell that she was female because of her shapely figure that couldn't be hidden by her armor. She had long purple hair tied into a ponytail but her face was concealed by her helmet.

"This is my chief knight, Izalana. If you can manage to break a tie or somehow defeat her, then the gauntlet is yours to take. You may begin when ready."

"Let us duel earnestly." Izalana bowed before readying her spear.

"Please don't be too rough." Issei returned the bow.

Assuming their respective stances, Issei stood patiently, waiting for Izalana to make the first move. She had her spear pointed to the ground, so he assumed that she would sweep at his feet.

Within the blink of an eye, she dashed over with surprising speed, stabbing her spear upwards at his chest.

Sidestepping, he whipped around, materializing the Abyssal Fury. He backhanded her spear, which she had moved in the way to block him from hitting her face. Maneuvering her spear, she brought the sharp end down on his head, but he blocked by using his left elbow.

Flipping backwards, he regained distance from her, but she quickly followed him, spinning her spear as she spun around, launching a flurry of slashing attacks from both ends of her spear.

Dodging the first blow, Issei sidestepped the next thrust and ducked under the sweeping strike that came after. He drew back and wrapped his right arm in [Bahamut's Aura], creating a navy aura around it. He threw a punch that sent Izalana flying backwards several feet, but she stopped herself from crashing by putting her feet on the wall and kicking off.

Flying at him with incredible speed, she gripped her spear and began spinning horizontally.

"[**Dragon Dance**]" was the name of her attack.

A sharp blade of wind slashed at him multiple times. If he hadn't blocked with his right arm, he would've been cut quite badly by the attack. He had to squint as the wind blew dust into his eyes.

Gathering power around him, Issei condensed his aura to form into an orb and compressed it before letting an explosion loose, sending Izalana flying backwards. This time, she hit the wall, coughing as the air was knocked out of her.

"You're not bad. It would be disrespectful of me if I didn't get a bit more serious."

'_She wasn't serious?_' Issei drearily groaned.

She gathered mana to her feet and jumped into the air. She gathered mana into her spear, forming a small purple aura that sharpened into a point.

"[**Ostrum Step**]" She named it.

Throwing the spear, it whistled towards Issei, making a loud and intimidating sound. It sounded like a shrill whistle with rustling noises.

"[**Stardust Cluster**]" Issei countered with his own technique.

He waved his hand through the air, creating several star shaped pieces of mana that exploded all at one time creating blue clouds of dust, sending Izalana's spear flying backwards toward her. She barely managed to catch it in time before it could go outside of her reach.

She landed on the ground and lunged at him, her spear ready for more combat. Suddenly, several knights burst into the room.

"Sire! Please excuse the interruption! We have a cluster of dragons nearing our borders!" One of them kneeled.

"How many?" The King asked.

"We count around 20. Artillery is ready to fire at a moment's notice."

"Begin firing as soon as they are in range. I want all Dragon Knights ready for combat immediately. Dragon Riders are authorized to depart for aerial combat. Keep them away from the civilian areas." The King ordered into a magic circle.

"This duel shall be postponed until further notice. Captain Izalana, I need you and your team of Dragoons to head into battle." He looked at her with a trusting look.

"Understood, Your Majesty." She bowed.

"Hyoudou Issei-kun, I must ask that you remain here. I do not know if you have fought dragons before, but it would be prudent for you to avoid doing so."

"I'm afraid that I must refute that claim, Your Majesty." Azazel walked in.

King Vorda merely gave him an interested look.

"You've seen his capabilities and I assure you that he is more than capable of doing battle with dragons. He was trained by me and 2 others who are extremely powerful. We would also like to provide aid if you would like." Azazel proposed.

Thinking about this for a moment, King Vorda sighed.

"Very well. I will ask that you split into groups and deal with the incoming dragons. Keep them away from the kingdom's boundaries. I will have Captain Izalana direct you to where to go."

The Dragoon nodded.

"Follow me."

The group, minus Azazel went with her to a balcony, where 12 other Dragoons were waiting.

"We are the Dragoons, the Queen's Honor Guard and Elite troupe of soldiers." Izalana gave a brief introduction.

"We will be meeting the dragons directly in battle, so don't expect an easy time. For those that aren't familiar with fighting dragons; they have tough scales that only dragon-slaying magic and weapons can work on them. Their main weak spots are their hearts, mouths, and necks. Always avoid their wings and limbs, especially the tail." Izalana explained.

"Scouts report at least 20 now, so it'll be an interesting fight. They're all Drakes, so it looks like they're testing us." One Dragoon scoffed.

"In that case, my team will deal with 10." Izalana turned to Vali, having identified her as the leader.

"My Peerage will take the other 10, then." The Hakuryuukou nodded.

There was a sense of trust and caution between the two, since they didn't really know much about each other.

Soon enough, the groups split up to do as planned.

Issei felt sheepish when he realized that he was incapable of flying while the others could. It was expected since he was only a human. And humans can't fly. Not even with ki control.

"Listen up, Issei. Don't hold back with dragons. They're much tougher than any other enemy that you've fought before, excluding Kokabiel." Vali warned.

"Got it."

"Hey, you lot. The King has commanded that there be no killing dragons, y'hear?" Azazel spoke from a magic circle.

"Understood." Everyone nodded.

* * *

Within a few minutes, they had come across a cluster of different dragons roaring and flying at them.

"Start attacking!" Vali ordered.

Kuroka gathered Senjutsu into her unique magic circle, firing white flames that blasted into a red dragon, making it howl in pain and irritation. It retaliated by blowing fire at her. Dodging by a narrow margin, she returned another attack by sending a ring of fire at it.

The Red Dragon snapped at her. She dodged once more but when it breathed fire at her, she used her skills in Youjutsu and escaped the blast by creating a mirage of herself.

Arthur made good on his culture's custom of Dragon Slaying. He drew Excalibur Ruler and impaled one dragon, causing it to roar and lash about in pain. Using the power of Excalibur Ruler, he brought it under his control, forcing it to fight the other dragons that accompanied it.

Its allies cried out in rage as one of their own attacked them with its fire breath.

Bikou commanded his staff, Ruyi Jingu Bang, and extended its size to slam into one dragon before retracting it and then striking it again. He then covered his weapon in ki and spun in the air with acrobatic skill before bludgeoning the dragon in the neck with his staff, sending it down.

Lefay created an array of three magic circles in front of her with her wand. The circles were colored orange, green, and blue, with the elements of fire, wind, and water blasting into an enemy dragon, causing it to roar and swipe at her with its tail. She managed to dodge and retaliated by firing a blast of lightning at it, electrocuting it, forcing spasms.

Vali wasn't having much of a hard time against one, proven with the fact that she zipped to it within the blink of an eye and rammed her fist into its back.

"[Divide.]" Albion announced 4 times.

Forming a ball of demonic power in her hand, she fired it at the victim of her draining it until it dropped into the ground, too weak to do much else.

"_**These Evil Dragons are inexperienced and ill-trained. It disappoints me**_." Albion scoffed.

Issei was forced to fight from the ground, but he proved more than capable of engaging the enemy. Charging his feet with ki, he propelled himself at the green dragon in front of him and fired his beam [Absolution]. A navy blast of mana slammed into the body of the dragon, sending it to the ground.

Another dragon flew at him, opening its maw to consume him, however, that proved to be a mistake. It captured Issei within its mouth, snapping its jaws shut.

"Issei!" Vali cried out.

"Issei-sama!" Lefay looked on in shock.

Suddenly, the dragon shook violently as light glowed from its neck. Before it could be killed, the dragon spat him out without hesitation.

Sighing with relief, Vali did not want to see something like that again. She was going to freak out if he hadn't shown that he was alive.

After all of the dragons had been knocked out, the Vali Peerage was about to leave until they heard a loud roar that disturbed the snowfall. A massive shadow peered over them, causing them to look up. A large emerald dragon descended from the sky and leered at them.

"To think that I would be in Albion's presence. This is truly a unique day." It snorted.

"What is your name?" Albion called out.

"My name is Ouron." It replied.

"Why are you at war with the Dragon Slayers?" Albion asked.

"They have a treasure of ours that they refuse to give up! It belongs to the dragons! They have no right to hold it when they have no connection to it!" Ouron boomed.

"So you ally with Evil Dragons?" Albion questioned again.

"Our numbers have dwindled. As they kill our people, we kill theirs. I will not rest until we reclaim the piece of Bahamut that they have!"

Issei was surprised by this comment and spoke up.

"Wait! There has to be a way to stop this! I am the host of Bahamut's Soul!"

Ouron's eyes darted to him.

"So his soul has reincarnated into a human again? I see. What is your reason for being here, human?" He growled.

"I am here to claim the 3rd piece of Bahamut. It's my mission and goal."

"Why?"

"Because a future threat has been foretold. A disaster is coming and Bahamut's power is needed to stop it. Several points lead to this."

Ouron floated in the air for a moment, skeptical.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. What you say makes some sort of sense. Among the dragon line, there is a prophecy that one day, Bahamut will rise again and strike down an Abomination that was birthed from hate and anger. However, I see no proof of that, human." Ouron snarled at Issei.

"This is proof." Issei covered himself in a navy blue aura, flaring it to life as the silhouette of a massive dragon surrounded him. It dwarfed everyone around him, but Issei tempered its size to match his height.

"What?!" Ouron backed up.

"This power is without a doubt, unlike anything we've ever felt."

"The Village Elder should be notified."

"Very well. We will withdraw. Expect another meeting, human." Ouron warned Issei.

He fired a green ball of flame into the air, which exploded before he and his fellow dragons flew away.

Several roars echoed in resonance as clusters of dragons left the area near the Dragon Slayer Kingdom before flying off into the distance.

* * *

When the Vali Peerage returned, they were surprised to see that there wasn't any damage to the Kingdom. They all gathered in the Throne Room, in audience with the King and Queen once more.

"Our conflict with the Dragons began a few years ago. They learned that we had been guarding the Left Gauntlet of Bahamut and demanded it. Our family has been tasked with protecting it since ancient days, so we would not part with it lightly. They were angered by this and warned of attacks if we didn't agree. Eventually, we started launching attacks on each other and it's been that way since. Neither side is willing to risk their people, but there have been a few deaths. Several knights have lost their lives and the same goes for dragons." King Vorda sighed.

"And if Issei were to take it?"

"Then this conflict would end. However, this matter must be politically settled. I don't want this battle to continue if what we are to protect and what they desire is no longer here." The King then looked at Issei.

"I have seen Aura of Bahamut before, for one of the past holders was a Dragoon, so I now know that you are telling the truth. With that proof, I shall give you the Left Gauntlet." King Vorda spoke.

He stood up and walked down to level ground. He drew his ceremonial sword and cut his hand. He drew a magic circle in blood on the ground, which shined with blue light before a small hole formed in the ground A vortex appeared in the room, looking like a deep and endless darkness within.

"Only the Wielder of Bahamut's power can summon the gauntlet. It exists within this dimension as a safety measure."

Issei activated the Abyssal Fury to create Bahamut's aura and plunged his left arm into the darkness.

"Issei?!" Vali cried out in worry.

Slowly, the darkness creeped up Issei's arm. He felt himself getting pulled in but slammed his hand onto the ground, stopping the dimension from swallowing him. Struggling to remove his arm, Issei fought with all of his strength before wrenching free.

When his arm emerged, he had a gauntlet covering his arm. It was navy and black, with silver accents and it looked like sheets of metal on the underside, with plating on top.

Suddenly, Issei felt power course through him. At first, it was like a gentle wave but it quickly became more chaotic as he shook slightly at the surge that he was feeling. The room shook from the power in the room but Issei managed to calm down, eventually.

"It is done, then. Our duty is now over." The King made a long exhale.

"It's my fault that you had your purpose taken and lives were lost because of this. I am deeply sorry." Issei bowed his head.

"No. The deaths that occurred were only natural. We were so single-minded in protecting the gauntlet that we forgot about expanding our minds and methods. I feared that without it, my kingdom would have no drive to continue. However, that is natural. One cannot evolve and grow if they only stick to one purpose for all time." King Vorda turned away.

"Then what of the conflict with the Dragon Folk?" Issei asked.

"I will parley with them. The reason for our battle is gone. I know that they revere Bahamut too much to just obsess over it. Their reasons for wanting it weren't shallow. They believed that we were clutching onto it out of greed. They simply sought to get it out of hands that they believed were wrong." King Vorda looked out of the window in the room.

"And if they refuse?" Azazel asked.

"Then war may occur." The King replied.

"Let me speak to them." Issei suggested.

"What?!" Everyone looked at him.

"War is never an option to take, if it can be helped. In this situation, it can be helped. If I can convince them to let go of this, then everything may go back to normal." Issei reasoned.

"You would waltz up to them and ask for peace, knowing that they may destroy you?" King Vorda looked at him like he was crazy.

"Yes. It sounds foolish but as the Host of Bahamut, I may be able to do something." Issei pleaded.

"It's plausible. All dragons revere Bahamut for his noble strength and character. They may listen to Issei." Albion spoke up.

"If the Hakuryuukou believes him…then perhaps I shall put faith in it as well. I don't want to lose my people. As a King, it is one's main duty to watch over his people."

Suddenly, Izalana walked into the room and kneeled.

"I have brought a message from one of the dragons."

She held up a crystal with a magic circle carved into it.

King Vorda held it and activated it, causing Ouron's image to appear.

"I am Ouron, chief of the Dragon Folk. As you may know, the Host of Lord Bahamut is here. I have seen proof that he exists and I would like to create a treaty. I propose a meeting tomorrow morning at dawn. That is where we decide the fate of our people."

With that said, the hologram faded as the crystal shattered into pieces.

"Hyoudou Issei, you just might get what you want. I normally do not allow strangers to behave so freely in my kingdom, but it is clear that several fates depend on you. I will allow you to come, but know this. If you seek to do something chaotic, expect the Dragon Slayers to come after you. I have no tolerance for trouble makers." King Vorga gave him a sharp glare, to which, Issei only nodded.


	8. Chapter 8: Old Grudges Die Hard

_**Well, a guest asked what species that Issei is, and I wanted to clarify that Issei is 100% human in this story. Though, I could argue that he's metahuman at this point because of his skills and supernatural abilities. **_

_**In this story, the Evil Pieces can only turn someone into a devil if they died. If a person were to be put in a Peerage while alive, it would only affiliate them with the Evil Pieces' Owner. They would be considered a part of the household, but their physiology wouldn't change. Thus, Issei is a human but is considered part of the Lucifer House because he's Vali's servant. **_

_**I also wanted to thank one of, if not the only Guest to comment, for his review in Chapter 6.**_

_**And another note, I was notified of the similarity between Bahamut's actions in Chapter 5 and what Bahamut did in FFXIV A Realm Reborn. I checked it out and I want to say that it was completely coincidental, as I never played FFXIV before. I would change what I wrote but we're too far into the story to reupload changed chapters. It would confuse readers and it would be a bad move, in my opinion. So, I will take steps to avoid creating more similar situations with this story.**_

* * *

**Chapter 8: Old Grudges Die Hard**

The night that Issei had gotten the 'Draconic Arsenal', he experienced, yet, another dream. He was back in the dark abyss of his mind, but this time, he was facing the silhouette of a blue humanoid.

"I see that you've finally begun to awaken more." The Silhouette remarked. It had a male voice but it didn't sound threatening, rather, it was calm and somewhat detached.

"Who are you?" Issei asked.

"I am your predecessor. One of them, anyways. You may call me Rexis. A small piece of my soul was left within the Right Gauntlet, which you obtained. It's only because you have the Soul of Bahamut that I ever stirred at all." Rexis informed.

"So what am I doing here?" Issei asked again.

"I wanted to talk to you. I can't appear too often as you're still unstable. I wanted to fill you in on some information since the people around you don't seem to know much." Rexis scoffed.

"And why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm the one that has actual instructions to help you. I'll tell you now that Bahamut's mind is just a jumbled mess of angry rants. His consciousness will indeed awaken if you assemble all 6 pieces of the Calamity Catalyst. In my lifetime, I only gained 3 pieces. However, sealed away in our minds, he is watching everything. He's just unable to interact with anything. Aside from that, I can tell you that every time you recover a part of the Set, you need to bleed on the Tablet again to gain more information. Also, as time passes, you'll see and learn more of the lives of our predecessors. It's a side effect of the Calamity Catalyst." The Silhouette explained.

"Now, on to the next subject. The Right Gauntlet allows you to create a weapon from the same material as the armor. It can take any form but you can only make one at a time, but it can instantly change forms between different weapon types. It is the most versatile Sacred Gear in the Set and I know it'll serve you well."

Suddenly, his visage flickered like static.

"And that is all I can say as my time is up. Remember, don't ever give in to rage at all. It's the worst thing to fuel power and it's the easiest thing to use for disaster."

Just with those last words, Issei was propelled from out of his dream.

* * *

He opened his eyes and was amazed to see a beautiful young woman in his room, watching him with great interest.

She had familiar purple hair, green eyes, a lithe and voluptuous figure, and appeared to be in her late teens, possibly 18 or 19. She wore royal clothing, consisting of a black dress, detached sleeves, a silver tiara, and white shoes.

"Good morning. I am Princess Izalana. It is a pleasure to officially make your acquaintance." She curtsied.

Issei's eyes widened in alarm as he shot out of bed and knelt on the ground.

"Please forgive my rudeness, Your Highness. I was not aware that you would be here."

He kept his head down until he heard giggling break out in front of him.

"Ahahahaha! You really are overly polite. It's fine. I'm not like my father. You can go ahead and be casual with me." She smiled at him.

Her smile was like an Angel's, radiant and energizing.

"If I may ask, what is it that you wish from me?" Issei asked.

"My father wishes to let you know that breakfast is ready and that you are to join us in the Dining Hall. You impressed him yesterday, so he's being extra nice to you. Also, I've been wanting to get to know you after our duel yesterday." She chuckled.

Issei froze.

She was the Crown Princess and the Captain of the Dragoons?!

"W-Wait, so if you're the Princess, then why are you a Dragoon?"

"I chose to do it. I'm not comfortable with letting my people fight by themselves. I'd rather get out there and do the fighting with them. Also, for safety purposes, my family addresses me as 'Captain' at my insistence. I'd rather if people saw me as 'me' and not as the Princess." Izalana smiled before leaving to allow him to get dressed.

* * *

Wearing more formal clothes, he went to the Dining Hall and found that the Vali Peerage had just arrived as well.

"After breakfast, we shall head to the appointed location. It will just be me and Hyoudou-kun. Ouron and I agreed that we will only bring one other person with us. The rest of you should remain on standby, should something go wrong, I will signal for you. However, I hope matters don't get to that point." King Vorda prayed.

* * *

Soon enough, Issei and the King arrived at a frozen lake, where Ouron was waiting, with a red dragon beside him.

"I've come as promised." Vorda walked up to him without any fear in his eyes.

"I see. However, before anything else, I want to speak with that boy." Ouron turned towards Issei.

"Why do you truly seek to gather Bahamut's power? I can tell that what you want isn't to just destroy an evil. It's something else. Something that you've kept secret." Ouron leered at him.

Issei paused. He didn't want to say his other reason, but he decided that he couldn't lie. It just might cause some mistrust.

"I'm doing it for my master. She has a dream that is noble. She has saved my life twice and I have decided to do what I can to make it up to her. However, victory in battle is necessary. As I was before, and even now, I don't think I'm strong enough. I need to be stronger." Issei had seen videos of the Rating Games between the top 10 rankers and he realized that there was still so many things greater than him, so many people.

"I see. So you're doing this for a woman? Hmph." Ouron looked amused.

"Will you allow me to ask you something?" Issei looked up.

"Very well."

"Why did this conflict truly start?" He bluntly asked.

"For a long time, I have heard the cries of dragons come from the Castle of the Dragon Slayers. For centuries, they've been used as mounts by their Dragon Riders. Not only that, but for years, they have slain many of our own." Ouron's temper flared.

"And for several years, dragons have attacked my home. Many innocent bystanders have appeared dead by my doorstep, all were human with bite marks from a dragon's maw." Vorda retorted.

"Lies!" Ouron snarled.

"Say that to the orphaned children and childless parents that I've housed because of your attacks!" Vorda fired back.

"You would accuse me of such dishonorable acts?!" Ouron spread his wings.

"You do the same. My home has not done anything to brutalize the dragons there! I would never allow anyone to commit cruelty to our partners!" Vorda gripped the sword strapped to his waist.

"Then why are you called 'Dragon Slayers'?" Ouron roared.

"Enough!" Issei flared Bahamut's Aura, scaring the two into silence.

"Lord Ouron, can you tell me what you hear from the dragons in the Kingdom?" He asked.

"I hear them crying and praying for relief. They howl in pain and beg for help! It happens every night!"

Issei was perplexed. During the time he was inside the Kingdom's walls, he heard no cries from dragons. There was only silence. Not only that, the Dragon Knights showed great care for their mounts, grooming them, and treating them like they would with family. Even the dragons told Albion that they loved their lifestyles within the Kingdom.

"That doesn't add up. The Hakuryuukou's Dragon, Albion, has told me that they love their life there. They love their human partners." Issei countered.

"Then why do they cry?" Ouron pressed on.

Issei was silent for a moment, combing through several questions in his head.

"Then let me ask this. Does someone want war within your sides?" He asked both leaders.

For a moment, they had to think. It was a question worthy of consideration.

"There is. In my court, a few have called for it." King Vorda admitted.

"The same goes for my side. Several of my dragons demand for it." Ouron snorted.

Both leaders had come to the realization that everything might have been set up.

"I was told that the Dragon Folk wanted the Right Gauntlet to improve the military might of the Dragons, who wanted to harness a fraction of Bahamut's power."

"I was told that the humans kept the Gauntlet for the same reasons, in preparation to take our lands." Ouron added in.

"Then it's clear. Someone is setting up a war between both sides." Issei concluded.

The King and Dragon Chief then took deep breaths, calming down. This matter would have to hold until they both returned to their respective homes.

"Until we both discover the truth, a ceasefire will hold. However, if I find that you have been lying, then we shall go to war." Ouron threatened.

"Such mockeries." A voice growled.

Ouron turned around and snarled. An orange dragon looked on from the top of a frozen hill and leered at everyone.

"You…"Ouron returned the nasty expression.

"For the proud Dragon Folk to make a truce with humans, what a fool you are. Why not just crush them now, while you have the chance? Do you not know that humans only see us as tools and chances for glory? They kill us just to look good. They take our treasure and they dare to say that we're the evil ones! They are vermin beneath our feet. We should crush them!" The Orange Dragon roared.

"So you're the one who arranged for this conflict? All for arrogant pride?!" Ouron's anger was starting to boil.

"We are dragons! We are beings of pride! I bided my time and arranged for this, but my patience has run out! Those that didn't side with me, were disposed of. That served as a tool for those 'cries' from other dragons. As for the humans, I killed those humans. You're too reclusive, so I needed to make some hate for the dragons on your side."

"All of you humans are the same. You lie and use others for your own ends. I will not stand by and allow my fellow dragons to die and be forgotten."

"Engrsmort…to think that you spread lies and deceived others just because you believe that it's a dragons 'purpose' is to dominate and destroy others…" Ouron shook with rage.

"I will not listen to the words of someone who has forsaken the value of his dead comrades." Engrsmort roared, opening his maw, with the inside lighting up in preparation for flames.

"Forgive me, King Vorda. I was negligent." Ouron bowed his head.

"No, it's not your fault. If anything, it is my fault as well for letting things progress so far. However, we have to deal with this threat before anything else."

"You thought I would come here alone?!" Engrsmort roared, forcing several Evil Dragons to flock out from hidden spots, soaring into the air with howling screeches.

"Well, good thing I had a back-up plan." King Vorda fired a flare into the sky.

"Same." Ouron fired a green flare into the sky from his mouth.

"We had a feeling that something might go wrong. We didn't know what, but it doesn't matter now." Vorda smirked.

Issei materialized both of his Gauntlets. He decided that he would try out his new Sacred Gear and willed for a weapon to appear. The plates of his Left Gauntlet shifted and a spear formed in his hands. It was a long and had a dragon's head placed at the end, with a large blade protruding from it. The entire weapon had Bahamut's color scheme, being navy blue and black, though some of it glowed with a soft light.

"We'll have to do what we can until reinforcements arrive. What do you wish to do with them, Ouron?" King Vorda drew his sword.

"Execution is the only judgement for them. I've met too many like Engrsmort to know that it's better to end them since they'll only cause more trouble. He is the reason why so many died. I'm only ashamed that it was a dragon from my Clan that caused all of this." The Emerald Dragon Folk Chief sentenced them to death.

Blasting at several Evil Dragons with his green fire, they melted before turning into ash at the heat of his flames.

Engrsmort lunged at him, blowing orange fire at his face, only for Ouron to dodge. Flying into the air, his enemy gave chase.

King Vorda flipped a switch on a bracelet located on his right wrist. The bracelet shifted before armor began to shift and spread from the bracelet. Soon, he was covered in golden Dragon Armor, complete with a helmet that covered his face.

His eyes scanned the enemies that were flying around him before jumping into the air. With the power of his Dragon Armor, he was capable of launching 30 ft. off from the ground. Drawing his gold sword, he began spinning vertically, coming down like a saw, slashing at several dragons who were coincidentally flying under him.

When he landed, an Evil Dragon flew at him, opening its mouth to begin attacking. Lifting his sword over his head, he gathered mana to the blade, creating a golden aura around him. Slashing downward, a wave of energy tore through the ground, obliterating many.

He was about to be snatched up by a dragon's clutches but a number of star-like explosives made of mana scattered in front of it, exploding and destroying the winged creature.

King Vorda nodded in appreciation towards Issei, who returned the gesture.

Issei aimed his spear and put his mana into it, causing an aura to glow around it. He felt some influence come from watching Izalana fight. Her fighting style just struck a chord with his imagination.

He looked in the distance and saw her fighting, recognizing her armor and spear. She twirled in the air before pointing her spear downwards, stabbing a dragon in the skull with one lethal thrust. It was like watching a powerful dance.

She leapt off the Evil Dragon before using her [**Ostrum Step**] to impale a dragon's neck before kicking it through the other side before retrieving it.

Spinning her spear rapidly, she created a gale that swept up numerous foes before skewering them with her [**Dragon Dance**].

When an Evil Dragon prepared to breathe its fire behind Issei, he threw his new weapon, impaling it in the throat. The dragon froze and its eyes bugged as death took its soul away.

Issei sensed that the spear was still inside the dragon's throat and willed for it to shatter. He then made a large sword that required two hands for any normal person to wield. It had one edge, with it being silver as blue lines ran across the blunt side. The sword was 4 ft. and 6 in. long, making It rather large for practical use.

At first, Issei was hesitant with manifesting Bahamut's Aura, but he decided that since he had it, it would be a waste to not use it, especially if he can save someone with it.

Forming his aura, he brought fear to those that knew the form of Bahamut, as the Aura was outlined like him. Several dragons flew away just by seeing it. Engrsmort bellowed in rage.

"Don't run, you fools! That is not Bahamut! He is just fooling you!"

"Face reality, Engrsmort." Ouron lunged at him, wrapping his tail around the Orange Dragon's neck and slamming him into the earth with a rumbling crash.

Issei flew into the air using his Aura and rushed forward. While the [Abyssal Aura], as Issei called it, was active, he was granted temporary flight and increased augmentation to his attacks.

He flew at the Evil Dragons and spun like a drill, razing the skies and earth as he unleashed a deadly wave of destruction that swallowed his enemies.

Not stopping his movements, Issei grabbed hold of his spear and threw it into the hide of an Evil Dragon. It roared in pain and blew fire at him. Flying between streams of fire, he nimbly dodged all attacks. Landing on the dragon's back, Issei grabbed hold of his weapon and tore a path along the back of the Dragon, terminating it after wrenching it out from its tail.

While his back was turned, an enemy had snuck behind him but was struck down by a blast of magic. He turned around and saw Vali flying towards them, alongside several of Ouron's dragons and Dragoons. They were soon met by the flocks of Evil Dragons that remained.

"Good." Ouron smirked.

He turned toward Engrsmort, who lashed out. The Orange Dragon flapped his wings, creating a blast of freezing winds that distracted his enemies. He charged at his nemesis and grabbed him by the neck with his claws. Ouron snapped at him, only for him to move aside and whirl around, slapping him in the face with his barbed tail.

Ouron howled and made the same attack. He swiped at Engrsmort's face, slashing it with his claws.

"Our brothers were nothing but pawns to you! You wasted their lives because of your misconception and weak mind! You orphaned hatchlings and killed innocents! Because of you, so much of our Clan has been lost! You deserve to melt in fire!" Each time the Dragon Chief spoke, he slashed at the Orange Dragon.

"You have no right to speak! What about the dragons that were slain by them in the past?! Have you forgotten about them?! Are they just deaths that can just be ignored?!" Engrsmort returned a blow for each one that he received from Ouron.

"Those were deaths brought by the past! We are our own people. Stop clinging to the past!" Ouron blew his green flame at Engrsmort, who responded with his orange fire.

Both plumes of heat collided, melting the snow around them to the point of evaporation and slamming everyone with hot air.

"Even so! They were still lives that were taken!" Engrsmort continued.

"Are you so consumed by the desire for vengeance that you've become senseless?!" Ouron fire back.

"Enough! No more words!" The Orange Dragon rushed forward for one final attack.

"I will kill you three and then I will destroy that wretched Dragon Slayer Kingdom."

Wreathing himself in orange fire, Engrsmort jet-streamed at Ouron.

The Dragon Chief responded by gathering all of his strength and blasting his enemy with all his might. This slightly deterred Engrsmort, who was fighting through the stream of inferno. It was slowly becoming clear that Ouron was losing the struggle.

"Think twice!"

King Vorda stopped fighting the other Evil Dragons and rushed over to aid him.

"[Solarium]" He gathered all of his mana and applied Dragon-Slaying enchantments to his technique.

A beam of gold crashed against Engrsmort, who was forced to burn up more of his life force to fight against the two attacks.

"I will not submit! For the glory of the dragons!" He roared one final time.

Drying up all of his life force, he soared through the attacks, reaching his targets, he detonated, creating a massive explosion that swallowed the entire vicinity. Fueled by the very weight of a life, his suicide attack caused powerful fire to melt and dry everything it touched, making the snowy wastelands change form into dryer lands.

When the dust and smoke cleared, everyone was surprised to see that an ethereal defense was covering them.

Vali looked above and saw that Issei was floating in the air, having largened his [Abyssal Aura to larger size. Everyone marveled at his feat, as he had shielded everyone by blocking off the explosion with his ethereal wings. The only ones not to be lucky were the Evil Dragons.

"So, in his final moments, he erased what he tried to bring about. Not even the Evil Dragons survived." King Vorda declared.

"A fitting end for the fool." Ouron snorted before turning to King Vorda.

"For now, as we discussed, it is time that this feud halts. Let us waste no time and speak of the Treaty. Now that the Host of Bahamut has arrived, as foretold by an old prophecy spoken of in the legends of the Dragon Folk, we no longer have a say with what to do with it. Thus, the matter about the Gauntlet is closed." Ouron folded his arms.

"The same goes for us. I decided to let him have it, as he's proven to be strong enough to handle its powers and his character is…respectable." Vorda noted.

"We were originally led to believe that Bahamut's Host would never come and that your kind were merely holding onto the Sacred Gear for its power."

"I will not lie; many of our weapons, armor, and magic came from studying Bahamut's Left Gauntlet." Vorda admitted.

"That is the past. However, there is the matter for compensating for the dead of each side. Regardless of the end, lives were still lost in this conflict. Whether it was done by Engrsmort's hand or not, it was my fault for not catching on." Ouron sadly noted.

"What do you propose?"

"We will exchange our scales and some of our gems of dragon-make to you." Ouron snorted, wondering if Vorda would hesitate.

"Very well. To be fair, as I don't blame you, I shall trade you livestock and raw materials. It does not sit well for me to receive and not give." Vorda smiled.

Ouron then turned to Issei.

"You helped us avoid a war from breaking out. It's shameful that it only took 2 questions for that to happen. We were so blinded by the past, that we closed off our minds and began to assume so many crazy things. Thus, the Dragon Folk owe you for saving the future of our clan. Should you ever need us, simply call."

"I understand and it was my pleasure." Issei bowed.

With that settled, everyone returned home, feeling some peace and closure at this event. Issei, however, was far from achieving peace. First of all, he had to attend an audience with King Vorda, Queen Qylna, and Princess Izalana.

* * *

"The Kingdom of Draczal owes you for your efforts. Should you ever have need of the Dragon Slayers, then our doors are open to you." King Vorda swore.

"We shall remember that, Your Majesty. We are honored by your promise, as the might of the Dragon Slayers are legendary." Azazel bowed.

The group was preparing to leave, until Vali stopped, noticing that Issei wasn't moving.

"What are you doing, Issei? We have to go home."

"I'm sorry, Vali. I can't go home yet. I've decided to do something." Issei gave her a sheepish smile.

This scared her a little, as her fear of losing people made her mind jump to certain conclusions.

"What? Why?" She asked, worried.

"King Vorda offered me a reward, so I decided to call in on it. I'm going to stay here for a little while. I want to learn the fighting arts of Dragon Slaying." He confessed.

"What?! Issei, don't you understand that you're learning magic meant to harm dragons? Your soul is bonded to one." She looked at him in exasperation.

"Actually, Bahamut is invulnerable to Dragon Slayers." He pointed out.

Vali gave him a look, not convinced.

"It's true. Bahamut, was made from a time from before Dragon-Slaying came into existence. Thus, he's invulnerable because he predates it. It's like a computer virus. It's so different that antivirus programs wouldn't be able to detect it because it's not registered in its records of codes because there's no knowledge of it." Issei explained.

To be honest, he learned that from the Tablet.

"Issei…the Rating Games with the Young Devils is coming soon. I need you there." She pleaded.

"I know. I'll come back before then." Issei swore.

"Well, then, allow me to settle the matter. We're all staying." Azazel folded his arms.

"Why?" They both asked at the same time.

"The Alliance just sent word. The Khaos Brigade is on the move again. This place is one of their known targets. For now, we're on standby in case trouble comes along." The Fallen Angel Governor decided.

He already had King Vorda's permission. While he was here, he had told him all about recent events and extended an offer to him to join their Alliance. However, the King decided to wait and see, not too trusting of the Alliance, just yet.

"Any other news?" Issei asked.

"Apparently, they want to rob the place. Dragon Slayers have powerful weapons and armor, so it's natural to want them. We don't know when they'll attack but inside sources suggest that it'll happen within 5 days."

That was quite soon.

"So what do we do now?" Vali asked her superior.

"We wait and stand vigilant. It's our duty to stop those guys from causing more havoc, so that's exactly what we'll do when the time comes."

Satisfied with that, everyone returned to their assigned rooms to put their things back. It looked like their stay had been extended.

Issei had been amazed by how the Kingdom of Draczal was designed. It was like a fusion of modern and medieval architecture. Modern building designs but old-style streets constructed the city.

Thanks to the Illusion magic around their borders, they managed to hide their sunny and perfect lands from others. He had explored the forests far from the castle, finding the temptation to walk through those woods too strong to resist.

He looked around and saw exotic and new kinds of plants that he had never expected to come across. Trees with blue leaves and white trunks, which was severely odd, but he learned to accept it. There were even new kinds of fruits there. He spotted a bush that had berries that were completely round and grey in color.

However, despite all these new plants, the animals living there were relatively normal, aside from unicorns. Still, he hadn't explored everywhere, yet, so he shouldn't speak too soon.

He heard the whinny of a horse and looked past a thicket of trees. He found a unicorn drinking water from a lake, but it stirred, noticing him.

Issei expected it to run away but much to his surprise, it trotted closer before gently nudging him with its nose. Smiling, he patted it, feeling blessed to have even seen it.

"You know, in our lands, unicorns are signs of good fortune. Those that are allowed to touch them are often said to be amazing people at heart." A familiar voice spoke up.

He looked around and found Izalana smiling at him. She was wearing much more casual clothes compared to her princess attire. She had a white button-up shirt, with a purple cardigan, and black pants on.

If he were daring enough, he'd say that her clothes perfectly outlined her figure. Her bust was slightly smaller than Kuroka's, proving why he could tell that she was a woman with her armor on. Her legs were long and shapely and just demanded attention.

"Your Majesty." Issei greeted her with a bow.

"Again with the formalities." She giggled.

Walking over, she pet the unicorn, feeding it an apple before it walked away.

"I saw how you fought during Engrsmort's attack on the meeting. You really were amazing. You brought down so many Evil Dragons and already learned how to use your new Sacred Gear. I'm very impressed." She chuckled.

"I wouldn't say so. I still have so much more to learn." He humbly replied.

"I also saw how you saved my father from a dragon's claws. I thank you for that."

"It was only natural. Your father patiently and kindly greeted us and gave us fair treatment. I couldn't let a man like him get hurt."

"Say, I heard that you were staying here for training." Izalana turned to him.

"Yes. I was interested in learning some fighting arts of the Dragon Slayers." He admitted.

"Then, perhaps I can teach you. I'm Captain of the Dragoons, so it's very possible for me to be a mentor." She offered.

"I would be honored." Issei earnestly smiled.

"Then it's settled. Come to the Training Grounds morning."

"I'll be there." The young man laughed.

"That reminds me, have you managed to explore the city?" The Princess wondered.

"Only a little. Barely enough to be familiar with it."

"Then let's do that. Consider it my thanks for helping to defend my home." Izalana suggested.

"But you're already going to train me!"

"It's fine. That's work. This is play." She waved off his worries.

Suddenly, a voice called out to the both of them.

"Issei-kun! Where are you?!"

The two turned to see the bushes rustle as the voice came closer. Vali popped out from the thicket.

"Vali-san? What brings you here?" Issei asked.

"I was wondering where you went. I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out and explore the city." She offered.

Suddenly, her gaze went to Izalana, causing Vali to follow Issei's earlier example, though the Princess told her not to worry about it.

"Well, if you both want to do that, then how about I show the both of you around?" She suggested.

Not seeing a reason to refuse, they nodded.

* * *

_**Well, that's part 2**_


	9. Chapter 9: Dragon Heart

_**I have another thing to say. When I explained the Evil Pieces in the Author's Note for Chapter 8, reviewers told me not to spoil it or to implement it into the story. I wanted to remind everyone that I already did it in Chapter 2. I was only reminding everyone.**_

_**And I have to say it but if this had been a harem story, Izalana would've been in here, without a doubt.**_

* * *

**Chapter 9: Dragon Heart**

The city area of Draczal was awfully modern when it came to what it had to offer in sales. Fridges, TVs, Cars, and several other electronics were on sale. Issei had expected to see more 'ancient' stuff but he guessed modernization was something necessary for the progression of this place too. It kind of burst his bubble about getting to do some medieval stuff.

"The City is nice enough to keep you coming here with the range of products that it has, especially because we have limited-time products most of the time when it comes to imported items. We have places like fast-food chains, malls, even parks." Izalana smiled, pleased that her guests looked amazed.

"How about I take you to a place that you go to, to get souvenirs?" Izalana offered.

"That sounds great." Vali agreed.

They went into a clothing store and found exotic designs of clothing placed in neat racks.

"I promised to get Grandma, Rias, and Sona dresses, since she says that the Dragon Slayers have some made of really nice fabric. Grandpa wants a scale collection too." Vali looked at a list and decided to start tracking down said items.

"How come the others aren't here?" Issei asked his Master.

"I offered but they were all doing their own things. Arthur is busy sparring with the Dragon Knights, Lefay is reading all of their books, Kuroka is lazing about, Azazel is with the King, and Bikou is hanging out with the Dragon Riders." She sighed.

This had been a pickle for her since it meant that she would've had to do so much searching with only one brain.

"So I'm just here to carry bags?" Issei feigned a hurt look on his face.

"Of course not! I wanted to hang out with you too. It's been so long since we spent time together." Vali protested.

Issei started laughing.

"I was just joking. Ahaha!"

Vali just sighed at his antics.

"Anyways, I wanted to talk to you about the coming Rating Games. Our first match will be against Rias' Peerage. Sairaorg is fighting Sona's."

"That's gonna be interesting." Issei noted.

"Sona favors strategy above all else in her approaches. Added to the fact that Saji is host to Vritra, it gives her a boost in power. Her Peerage is balanced, overall, but Azazel has outfitted them with Artificial Sacred Gears as a sign of goodwill from Grigori." Vali stated.

"If I recall correctly, Rias' team prefers to overpower her opponents." Issei mused.

"True. Rias' Peerage boasts quite a bit of power. She's also added two new members to her peerage. However, I don't know who or what they can do, so that puts us at a real disadvantage. Then again, Rias hasn't seen all of us use everything we have, either." Vali smirked.

"So tell me, if we win the Rating Games, what will you wish for?" She asked her Pawn.

"Wait, so everyone gets a wish?"

"Of course. I'd rather not fight if it was for my dream only. We're not fighting just for ourselves. We're fighting for each other as well." Vali gave him an honest smile.

Issei looked ahead, losing himself in thought. He hadn't really thought of a wish up till now, since his mind had been so preoccupied with so many other things.

"To be honest, I don't really know. I guess if it had to be an instant answer, I'd wish for my loved ones to be happy and healthy. I don't know, I can't make one up right now." He shrugged.

"That's perfectly fine. Nobody is rushing you. Still, that dream sounds perfectly like you." Vali giggled.

"Why do you say that?" Issei asked. He thought his dream sounded generalized.

"Because you always seem to think about other people, even if you don't show it. Even when we were at Kuoh, you'd reach out to me and always give me a shoulder to lean on, regardless of whether we knew each other really well."

Issei was kind of bashful when he realized that she had been watching him and acknowledging his character.

"So, what do you think the chances are of us beating Rias' team?"

Vali had to think on that particular thought.

"If it had been a few months ago, we'd have won easily. However, I'm not too sure of their abilities now. We'd probably still win, albeit with some difficulties, but besides that, our chances of victory stand at about 87%."

"Speaking of which, how'd you Peerage come together?" Issei asked, lightheartedly.

Much to his shame, Vali's expression became a bit more serious, perhaps sad.

"I think that's a question that you'll have to ask each of them. It's not my place to tell." She calmly told him.

"I see."

With that finally said, the atmosphere became awkward silence before Issei decided to change the subject, not wanting to keep the gloomy atmosphere that had crept over them.

"So, has Sairaorg spoken to you yet?" He asked.

Vali's eyes brightened a little.

"Yeah." She grinned.

"Oooh, I sense flirting." Issei teased.

Vali sighed.

"Why do you all push for that?"

"Because of how you two act around each other. You're blushing right now." He pointed out.

Vali glanced at a glass mirror as they passed by a store. She made a bitter smile when she realized that he was right. Her cheeks were slightly pink.

At first she didn't realize it because her mind was focused on the slightly faster beating of her heart. When she thought about Sairaorg, her heart would start doing this every time. She shook the thought away and walked faster to meet up with Izalana. That was enough of that.

* * *

A few days passed and Issei had been diligently training under Izalana's tutelage. His report on her teaching methods? Scary.

" Judging by what I've seen you do, I'd say you'd rank quite high among our ranks. So, we're going to see where you stand just to be clear. You're going to wear this and run around the Castle. No stops or pauses. Each time you stop, the weight increases." Izalana held up multiple gauntlets and boots before attaching them around his wrists and ankles.

Each piece weighed no less than 300 pounds. He was lucky to have been training before this point or he'd never have been able to run, if not move at all. This was luckily child's play to him.

He ran around the castle for an hour before Izalana stopped him.

"Well, I see that you certainly have a lot of strength and stamina so we'll skip this. Instead, I want to test you on something." She led him to a magic circle.

"You're going to run as fast as you can on this."

True to its purpose, the circle was like a treadmill. Issei walked on it and he felt like he was literally moving somewhere instead of standing in place, allowing him to run without restraint. He started walking before breaking into a jog, eventually moving into a long sprint before stopping.

"Looks like you ran 200 mph and 300 if you enhance yourself with mana. Very impressive. Are you sure you're human?" Izalana asked him seriously.

"I think I am, though Azazel suspects that I've gone to new heights. He's considered calling me a meta-human." Issei panted.

"Well, that settles your fitness test. At this point, I can say that easing into this isn't necessary. With that said, let's get down to learning the fighting styles of Dragon Slayers." Izalana stretched.

"The fighting style of Dragon Slayers combine finesse with speed. The mainstay approach of our style is to react and then barrage. Dragons are large so they naturally have an exceptional range of attack, as well as covering vast distances easily. Thus, Dragon Knights place heavy emphasis on speed to exploit chances and launch critical strikes when they can be exploited."

She snapped her fingers and formed a purple magic circle on the ground.

A statue of a large dragon appeared from it, standing lifeless.

"This is a training simulation that we developed for our trainees. I'll be using this to demonstrate how Dragon Knights try to fight in an ideal fashion."

Snapping her fingers, the statue sprang to life. It leered at Izalana and roared.

It snapped at her, though she quickly dodged to the side and threw her spear at its neck. Oddly enough, it impaled the intended target. Dashing forward without a second's hesitation, she ripped the blade through its neck, cutting its head off.

Issei was amazed by her speed, which was as fast as Arthur's, if not possibly more.

"With certain dragons, you never want to make the first move, especially if they have breaths that they can use against you. Fire isn't the only element that they can breathe. In certain cases, it's best to counter dragons. Also, one note to keep in mind is that Dragon Slaying focuses on speed more than strength. We use weapons for that while armor deals with defense."

Izalana then handed him a sword. It was double edged and had a dragon's head hilt-guard design, with a blade protruding from the dragon's mouth.

"That's a sword infused with Dragon Slaying magic. As with the case with most human magic, like Arcane Magic, it has formulas and logic applied to it within a certain extent. With the wishes of a weapon to slay dragons, a magic formula is written based on it and then enchanted to the desired weapon. That's a lesson for another time, though. For now, I want you to be able to kill a fake dragon of this kind within 5 minutes."

"Uh…that sounds a bit hard?" Issei groaned.

"Then get cracking." Izalana chuckled.

Was Issei to be cursed with apathetic teachers wherever he went?

He hefted the sword Izalana gave him as she snapped her fingers, causing the simulation to reset and glare at him.

"If it touches you with an attack, you die and the training resets. You can't use the [Abyssal Aura] either, along with Sacred Gears." She added.

'Damn. She knew I'd depend on that.'

He waited for the Dragon to make a move but it just continued to glare. Knowing that it was waiting for a counterattack, he made the first move. Charging at it, the Dragon whipped its tail at him. He rolled to the side but found that it was sending its claws down on him. He moved again before throwing his sword, impaling the Dragon in the back.

It howled in outrage before Issei infused his mana and ripped down, sundering it apart.

"Not bad. You barely did it within 5 minutes, holding a spot of 4 minutes and 45 seconds. Still, this is only child's play. We're going to get you to slaying Evil Dragons without resorting to your aura." Izalana laughed, though Issei sensed a more sadistic undertone from her.

'_I fear for those that train under her_.' He drearily voiced within his mind.

Slowly, Izalana upgraded the difficulty. Apparently, the dragons that they fought the other day weren't really that bad. They weren't the strongest that dragons had to offer in terms of strength, measuring only a bit under average. The stone dragon wasn't even as strong as that.

Getting the feel of using the Dragon Slayer's approach, Issei moved on to practicing the forms of combat.

He had a hard time using finesse like Izalana, as his movements were much stiffer, but more stable and less liable for surprises. She decided that it was fine, as developing his own touch was acceptable to her.

By the end of the 4th day, Issei could replicate the fighting form that the Dragon Knights used, implementing strong strikes while maneuvering around his targets. Izalana was starting to wonder who he really was but chose not to ask.

Issei would've given her a crazy answer, though. The answer to that question was that he had more dreams, as of late. Memories of skills and past battles from his predecessors had been coming to him. His body had been moving on instinct at random points in battle. That explained why he was even able to kill Raynare the night he awakened his first Sacred Gear. It was the knowledge of his predecessors that kicked in, enhancing his survival instincts and allowing him to fight on intuition.

"Well, we don't have any more time, as the Castle has undergone lockdown. Starting tomorrow, the attack is coming at any time so rest early. I expect to see your moves tomorrow. Don't let me down, now." She smiled seductively at him before breaking into laughter and leaving.

That grim issue re-entered Issei's mind, as he had been wondering what sort of approach that the Khaos Brigade would use to attack. With much misfortune, the spy within the Khaos Brigade had gone silent.

* * *

That night, Issei decided to eat out in the city, having felt that he'd also look around for suspicious activity while in the area. He looked around patiently, peering at every detail that was in sight. Suddenly, he noticed that a group of people were walking through the streets wearing hoods. They entered a flat, though they seemed quite cautious, with one of them looking around several times before entering.

He also noticed the glint of metal from underneath their cloaks. Deciding to investigate, he masked his presence and stood outside where they had been. Realizing that it was a shop, he entered, intending to masquerade as a customer.

"Hello! How can I help you?" The Owner welcomed him in.

"Hi, I'm looking for some supplies to stock up on. I need 12 Bael, 12 Basil, 12Guggul, 2 Dragon Fangs, 2 Dragon Scales, half of a unicorn horn, and 3 whole Ginseng." Issei lied.

"Those are quite the ingredients. What are you making?" The Owner he asked.

"It's for a multitude of things, like digestive medicine and toxic remedies."

"That'll take me a bit to get ready, though." The Owner then went into the back.

"Take your time." Issei leaned on the counter.

Issei looked around the shop before sneaking unnoticeable glances by the stairs. He could see the shadow of footsteps from the crack under the door, making it clear that the cloaked people were being hidden here.

The Owner came back after 15 minutes, with separate bags of what Issei asked for.

"Here you go. Fresh as can be." He smiled.

"Thank you. Say, do you know why the kingdom is on lockdown? I tried to leave but the guards told me that nobody is allowed in or out." Issei asked obliviously.

"There's rumor that a terrorist attack is being planned for tomorrow. That's why security is so tight right now." The Apothecary Owner sighed.

"You sound displeased."

"I am. I'd like to live quietly. Still, I guess there's always going to be trouble, regardless of the times you live in."

"Like the people that you're hiding upstairs?" Issei asked affably.

The Owner's eyes widened, realizing he had been caught.

"Bingo." Issei picked up on that, knowing he was right.

The doors upstairs burst open, with one of the cloaked figures charging at him with a magic sword.

Creating a blue and navy sword with dragon designs on it, Issei parried the attack before launching a powerful strike down on him, shattering his enemy's sword before slamming the flat of his blade in a series of strong blows on his shoulders, neck, left thigh, and right calf.

He looked up and found that the others had escaped. The Owner threw a test tube containing red liquid at Issei, causing fire to combust. Suddenly, someone burst through the door. Izalana quickly scanned around before noticing that the Apothecary Owner was running away and threw her spear, pinning him to the wall.

"What's going on?" She glared at both of them.

"This man attacked me and my friends!" The Owner pointed an accusational finger at him.  
Izalana considered that and looked at Issei.

"I found suspicious cloaked figures enter this place. They were exhibiting strange behavior and the attacked when I pointed them out."

"Your point makes sense, seeing as how I was just on my way from apprehending a group of cloaked figures too. They were from the Khaos Brigade." Izalana then turned to the Owner, who clicked his tongue, having been found out.

"I can tell that the attack is already underway. I've already told the King and Queen about this." She stated before knocking the Owner out.

"There's an incoming battalion of Khaos Brigade soldiers. The Guards and Dragon Knights are already sortieing to meet the enemy while the Dragon Riders provide air support. We have a few security personnel in the city, so we're not completely vulnerable."

"So what do we do now?"

"Get to the Dragon's Hoard and guard it. We don't have enough information to predict much else, so our best bet is to head them off." Izalana sighed.

Thus, the two returned to the Castle and entered the lower levels beneath the ground. Accompanying them was Vali Peerage, who were trusted with this task by the King. It seemed like the enemy was putting up quite a fight, judging by the tremors outside.

They entered a large square room made of black stone that was lit by red torches. The Dragon's Hoard was essentially a massive vault with a circular metal door with magic seals carved into it.

"I just got a report that some enemies broke through some of our defenses. They brought all kinds of monsters and equipment with them. The Dragon Folk won't get here for another 15 minutes. We need to hold out until then." Izalana groaned.

"In that case, we'll go out and assist." Bikou offered, standing up from the floor.

"That might be a good idea." Vali got up ready to head out.

"It might not be the best idea for you to go, Vali. This just might be the goal of the Khaos Brigade, so you should stay here. Besides, they need numbers, so it'll be less of an impact down here if we go up to reinforce the others." Arthur objected to her.

"If you say so." Vali relented. She knew that was true, but she didn't want to leave the others to fight if she was just going to wait down here.

Several minutes after the others left, Issei could hear footsteps rushing closer.

"_**They're here**_." Albion warned.

Looking at the stairway that led down to the room, everyone looked expectantly, standing ready for who was coming.

Standing in the doorway were three people.

The first was a tall man, standing at 5'10, with an imposingly large form. He hard large muscles, a tunic over a battle vest, with a small cape wrapped around his neck. He wore a fustanella, metal bracers around his arms, and armored platting around his legs, with sandals on his feet. To compete the image, he had brown hair and olive green eyes.

The second person was around 5'7, with a handsome face and white hair, a toned figure, and wore knight armor. Strapped to his back, were multiple swords, each of which, radiated an imposing aura.

The last person was a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair, which was tied into a ponytail with a blue ribbon, along with bangs over her forehead. She had green eyes, a lithe and busty figure, and wore silver armor that covered her arms and legs with an armored skirt. Strapped to her waist was a distinct sword, being colored blue and gold.

"Why am I not surprised?" The 2nd person groaned.

"And who are you?" Izalana questioned.

"I am Heracles, descendant of the original." The brawny man slammed his left fist into his right palm.

"I am Siegfried." The white-haired man identified himself.

"I'm Jeanne D'Arc." The blonde woman calmly put a hand on her sword.

"It looks like we're facing a group of heroes. Isn't this like stories of old?" Izalana chuckled at the irony of their intentions and respective characters.

"And like the old legends, we're going to slay the monsters." Heracles cracked his knuckles.

Everyone readied their weapons, standing against one opponent as if they had been designated.

"Jeanne D'Arc, are you perhaps her descendant?" Issei guessed.

"Yes, I am. I shall have your name since you ask of mine." Jeanne pointed her sword at him. In full view, it had a pale gold blade with a diamond-shaped tip at the end.

"I am Hyoudou Issei, Pawn of Vali Lucifer." He answered, seeing that it would be impolite.

"I have no grudge against you, Hyoudou-san, but I will not allow you to stand in my way." She gave him a knightly salute with her sword before assuming a stance.

"You seem honorable. Why do you side with the Khaos Brigade?" Issei asked.

"I have no reason to believe in higher powers anymore. I prayed and prayed for a great disaster to be averted but it was all for nothing. Thus, I joined to topple the ones who simply toy with us." Jeanne declared.

Issei could understand her point, but he couldn't just allow her to waltz in and use the powerful weapons behind him for nefarious purposes.

"I'm sorry for that. I truly am, but I can't allow you take these weapons." Issei summoned a sword from the power of his Left Gauntlet. He created a longsword with double-edges with a curved hilt-guard and a jeweled pommel. The entire weapon was colored black and blue.

"Then, en garde, Hyoudou Issei." Jeanne rushed forward.

Thrusting her sword, Issei sidestepped before blocking a slash from her. Sparks flew into the air as she pushed against him. Grinding his weapon against hers, their auras flared.

Issei noticed that her weapon was giving off a powerful glow.

"A holy sword." He felt its aura enough to be certain of it.

"Indeed. This is the Holy Sword **Joyeuse**."

This was a problem. He didn't know what it did, but fighting a Holy Sword in general was never a good thing.

He covered his body in ki, obtaining a fiery azure aura before zipping to her within the blink of an eye. She grit her teeth as she blocked against his attack. Managing to stay grounded, she cleaved at him, only for him to dodge and whip around, bringing his sword with him.

Jeanne struck before he did, launching a series of six thrusts that he managed to block with some minor difficulty. She was human but her reflexes were incredible. Her speed was also quite high, nearly matching an Evil Piece Knight.

A few feet away, Vali was brawling with Heracles. His strength was certainly amazing, but it didn't match the strength of his ancestor.

He threw a punch at Vali, who caught it with her palm. She kneed him in the side before spinning around, kicking him in the back of the neck, bringing him to his knees. Vali moved in to land another attack but he blocked with the back of his hand, causing a loud thud as a shockwave pulsed through the room.

"[**Hero's Might**]" Heracles bellowed.

His entire body gained a bright aura as his skin seemed to glow. His hair seemed to shine from light as he stood up.

"My Sacred Gear, Hero's Might, gives me the strength to compare with my ancestor. With that card played, it's a new game." Heracles smirked.

He jumped into the air and landed back down with him slamming his fist into the ground, sending a shockwave toward Vali.

Flying into the air, she pointed her palm forward.

"[_**Divide**_]" Albion announced.

Strength left Heracles, but he didn't allow it to deter him.

Charging a sphere of magic, she blasted it at her opponent.

He swatted the attack away and sprinted toward her.

"I had heard that the Heiress to the House of Lucifer was quite talented and exceptionally powerful. However, is this really all you can do? I can swat away your attacks like gnats."

Vali didn't care about his taunts and continued her attacks. She pointed her fingers at him, firing lasers that zipped quickly in Heracles' direction. He blocked by crossing his arms. It hurt quite a bit but it wasn't something that he couldn't handle.

Readying his fist, he swung at her but growled when he missed. Engaging in close combat again, they began another brawl.

While the two battled, Izalana faced off against Siegfried. Neither wanted to waste time in talk and immediately began battle.

Springing into the air, Izalana came crashing down into the earth with her spear covered in purple blades of wind. Siegfried drew his sword and lunged at her. It was large with a massive blade and handle that required two hands along with being completely colored with gold.

The two clashed, exchanging blows violently. Spear clanged against sword as sparks of wind and heat sprayed from where they met.

Izalana danced a deadly formation as flourished a series of spinning spear attacks, jabbing at his shoulder, knee, and side. With amazingly quick reflexes, he parried each attack, though he looked like he was being pressed.

"So is that all the Demon Sword, Gram can do? It's kind of sad since we helped forge that weapon for the original Siegfried." Izalana sighed. It had been her intention to rile him up and make commit a faulty move to exploit.

"Indeed. This blade is Gram. However, I'd prefer not to use it to its full extent. We'd like to avoid damaging the precious goods behind you." Siegfried retorted.

"Over my dead body." Izalana spat.

"As you wish." Siegfried sighed.

He flared his aura and concentrated it to his sword, causing a bright shimmer to flood the room in light.

"This is the power of Gram! The sword that slew the Dragon King, Fafnir!"

He banged his sword onto the ground, unleashing a shockwave that ripped apart the ground. Jeanne and Heracles jumped away and retreated behind Siegfried to avoid his attack.

Izalana stabbed her weapon into the ground, creating a large purple twister that swirled around her and her allies, defending them from the incoming attack.

"Sorry, but with my spear, **Elgenain**, your attacks aren't going to do jack." She grinned.

"Then allow us to try harder." Heracles rubbed his hands together.

Immediately, the air in the room became much more intense. Auras flared as both sides began to use stronger attacks.

Heracles slammed his fists together, creating orbs of light around his hands.

Siegfried increased the radiance of his sword, illuminating the entire room in constant bright light.

Jeanne had a bright blue and gold aura enveloping her like flame.

"It's Phase 2, folks." Heracles grinned.

With renewed vigor, the six clashed again.

Izalana covered her spear in mystical winds, forming a calm spiral around her weapon.

Jumping into the air, she used [**Ostrum Step**], flinging her spear through the air. When it made contact with Gram, it began drilling into the sword, causing the ground to crack as Siegfried was pushed closer into the ground.

Bringing his aura to full power, the spear bounced away. Swinging his sword in a circle, he created a magic seal that fired several rays of light that roared towards her.

Spinning Elgenain, she diffused the blasts into sparks before spinning in the air, creating a cyclone that drew Siegfried closer.

Spinning around, he created a large aura around his sword, clashing against Izalana's attack with a whirl of his own. The two were thrown to opposite ends of the room as their blows canceled out violently.

In another part of the room, Vali and Heracles were increasing the ferocity of their fight.

Vali threw a punch, which was met by no resistance from Heracles. She winced when pain resonated in her hand.

"My Balance Breaker, [**Herculean Spirit**], makes me extremely resistant to physical attacks. Your old strategy isn't gonna work anymore." He threw a punch that landed directly into Vali's stomach, making her gag and cough. Searing pain smoked from her stomach, realizing that light damage was inflicted to her.

"My attacks are also augmented with divine energy, just to let you know."

Heracles threw another punch but was shocked to see what Vali pulled against him. His fist struck against a whirling barrier that looked like a rippling pool of water in the air.

"[_**Reflect**_]" Albion announced.

The power of his attack bounced back, slamming against Heracles making him stagger from an attack from himself.

"Balance Break!" Vali called out, causing her white armor to envelop her.

"[_**Vanishing Dragon, Balance Breaker!**_]"

Opening her palm, Vali decided that she needed to get serious.

"[_**Divide x10**_]"

Energy was ripped from Heracles, who staggered, struggling to stay standing. He was already a bit tired from the previous fighting to get to this point. Not only that, but his Balance Breaker used up quite a bit of stamina.

"[_**Vanishing Slicer**_]" Vali extended her palm, and slashed her hand through the air. A crescent wave of white energy whistled through the air, slamming into Heracles, who gagged and coughed out blood.

Knocked into the ground, he stayed motionless, but it was clear that he was alive.

She turned around to see that the others were still fighting their respective opponents.

Issei was matching blow for blow against Jeanne, who proved herself a remarkable swordswoman. Her aura had done something to enhance herself as she was stronger and faster than before. Each strike was imbued with energy that matched the strength of his weapons.

"You're clearly not fighting to kill me." Issei noted.

"Well-observed. You're doing the same. Are you belittling me?" Jeanne retorted.

"No. I just noticed that you weren't aiming for my vitals. For someone in the Khaos Brigade, you seem quite lenient."

Jeanne's brow ticked.

"I am doing this for my own reasons."

"I would have guessed that you'd be a member of the Church. Were you cast out?"

"I feel no obligation to answer that."

Regardless, Issei just felt that something was wrong. Within recent weeks, his intuition had grown stronger. He could call and guess things without too much research. He reasoned that it was in part due to Bahamut's extreme senses as several powerful individuals could sense certain emotions in others.

"If you're the descendant of Joan D'Arc, then something must've happened to your faith to follow along with the enemy. Something must've gone wrong." Issei decided to start picking at the barrier that she had in her mind.

When Issei looked her in the eyes, she seemed so sad with defensive coldness.

Jeanne merely frowned before sighing.

"Very well. Perhaps if I told you, then you might leave this before you're in too deep to escape. I was once a former member of the Vatican. As a descendant of Joan D'Arc, I had been revered as a holy maiden and as a saint for being able to wield a Holy Sword, as well. For a while, I trained as an exorcist as well as something of a mentor to members of the Holy Sword Project."

Issei gasped at that.

"You were involved?"

"Yes, unfortunately. I was something of a measuring stick and a prime specimen to the scientists. It was me, who raised the hopes of those poor children. I told them to keep believing that they'd be worthy and would one day rise up to protect the innocent with their power. But it was all a lie." Jeanne's lip trembled.

"That project was just a farce to extract power from those children and when that had been done, they were ruthlessly murdered. None of them survived. When I heard of the truth, I prayed and prayed for their safety. I tried to return to them but I was turned away. When I spoke up, I was despised by the higher ups. I tried to seek out justice, but I was shunned. When I looked to the heavens, I received no answer nor any form of hope. After that day, I cast away my faith. I will no longer believe in those who profess themselves to be symbols of hope, when they are just lies. That concerns all three factions." Jeanne had a single tear fall from her eye.

"That's not true." Vali interjected.

Everyone looked at her in alarm.

"There is one person who survived." She continued.

"Lies." Jeanne bitterly groaned.

"I'm not lying. His name is Kiba Yuuto. He's blonde with grey-eyes with mole under his right eye. His old name was Isaiah."

Jeanne's heart was pounding. The descriptions they used were spot-on. However, she tried to shake off the hope that was existent in her heart now. She couldn't be deceived. Those days were done.

"A coincidence, I presume. Now, no more words. Let's continue." She failed to lose her cool exterior, assuming her stance once again.

"Forgive me." Issei whispered, almost to some other nonexistent person.

His sword shimmered with a bright light before he slashed along the ground towards Jeanne.

"[**Path Cleaver.**]"

The wave slashed and obliterated its way to Jeanne, who focused her aura into a barrier to stop it. The two forces violently clashed, causing the room to shake as stone cracked and broke apart. However, the end came when Issei's attack shattered Jeanne's defenses, causing her to slam into a wall, shattering it as she coughed the air out of her lungs.

She slumped to the ground in pain before staggering to her feet.

"[**Blade Blacksmith!**]" She slammed her sword into the ground, creating a shockwave of mystic swords that protruded from the ground, causing Issei to back up.

"[**Absolution**]" Issei fired his trademark beam from his left palm, destroying the swords with ease.

Jeanne dashed toward Issei and crossed swords again, sending attacks at each other, though failing to make contact.

Retreating back to gain distance, she regrouped with Siegfried and Heracles, who recovered enough to get back up to fight.

Suddenly, the three from the Khaos Brigade stopped their actions. Apparently, messages were being spoken to them as magic circles appeared by their ears.

"Time's up. The mission is over. We need to leave right now." Siegfried groaned.

"This isn't over, folks. We're only getting started." Heracles promised as he raised a fist to prove his point.

Everyone sighed, as the fighting instantly stopped upstairs, which was proven by the cease of tremors and the sounds of explosions.

"Looks like things worked out, for now…" Issei commented.

* * *

The next few days were rather messy, since there was a lot of cleanup to do. There were several casualties on their side, but the enemy had lost just as many, if not more, troops. However, it was soon declared that their spy was dead, having been weeded out and terminated. As much of a grievance that was, at least a large and a few possible disasters had been averted from that sacrifice.

As a sign of gratitude, King Vorda pledged to join Alliance, being extremely angered by the sudden attack on his homeland by the Khaos Brigade. Before leaving, the Vali Peerage and Azazel were stopped by the Royal Family and Ouron, who wanted to see everyone off.

"I can't thank all of you enough for everything that you've done. As a sign of thanks, here's a gift to you."

She gave him a ring that was blue and silver with a round sapphire gem in the middle.

"A wedding ring?" He joked.

"You wish. But joking aside, this is dragon slayer armor made just for you. It augments your physical performance and has some strong enchantments to protect it. It's not the absolute best armor to ever exist, but it's still very strong. Hopefully, it serves you well." She smiled.

"I'll treasure it." He smiled.

"Here's another gift, though." Izalana smirked, looking at Vali.

She leaned over, bent his head down, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"A good luck charm for the future." She giggled.

"T-Thanks." Issei bashfully smiled.

"Alright, enough flirting." King Vorda cut in.

Izalana merely giggled before stepping away.

Vali, who had been watching, felt a barely noticeable pinch near her heart. At first, she felt like she knew what Izalana was doing, but didn't feel the need to say anything. When her lips touched his face, she failed to feel much, at first, but she felt something…annoying, perhaps, in her heart. It perplexed her but she decided that it was nothing.

"Before you all leave, allow me to reward you all for your valiant efforts in defending our home. We collaborated with the Dragon Folk to prepare these items for you." He looked to the guards, who walked forward.

"To Azazel, I give you research that entails information on our scientific creations and alchemy. Hopefully you'll enjoy it."

Azazel's eyes lit up like a child's.

"To Vali Lucifer, I give you the Dragon's Jewel. It can be used to protect yourself from dragon slaying weapons and harmful curses."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

King Vorda handed her a silver necklace that had clear gem attached to it. It shimmered different colors as light was reflected from it.

"To Bikou, I give you a bracelet that gives you the strength of a dragon."

"My greatest gratitude, Your Majesty."

A red metal wristband with a dragon swallowing its tail was presented to him.

"To Lefay Pendragon, we have devised a wand for you. It is as tough as dragon scales and can amplify your spells with the might of dragons."

"I can't express enough gratitude, Your Majesty."

A black wand that had a smooth texture with several magic runes carved onto it, were given to her.

"To Kuroka, we give you a cloak to defend you from several forms of harm. It can change form into any clothes that you wish. It isn't as powerful as armor, but it doesn't hamper movements like the former."

"To Arthur Pendragon, we grant you one of our finest magic swords, Celvrest. It's power is comparable to a Holy Sword's. That weapon can launch multiple attacks at one time, so use great caution."

"I am humbled and honored, Your Majesty."

He was given a longsword that had an emerald blade, with a black hilt, a golden handguard and several magic runes etched into it. At the pommel was an emerald embedded into a golden piece.

"And as for Hyoudou Issei, well, Izalana already gave you your gift, but even so, you have the gratitude of the Kingdom and the Dragon Folk. Wherever you go, know that we are your allies." King Vorda gave him a friendly smile as they shook hands before leaving.

After arriving home, everyone was about to split up and go relax after a string of hectic days, but were stopped by Rizevim and Ezagyra.

"Before you kids decide to run off, we need to talk about the coming Rating Games." Rizevim raised a hand, catching their attention.

"Any news?" Vali asked, instantly interested.

"The Rating Game is in 2 weeks. It'll take place in Asmodeus Territory." Ezagyra chipped in.

"With that said, starting the day after tomorrow, you three are going to train. This Rating Game will affect your standing with the older devils and it'll help improve your chances of realizing your goals in the future. The higher you go, the more advantages you get, so give it your all."

Everyone sighed. They just got back from such a strenuous string of events. Was training going to make them bite the dust now?

Issei merely smirked. He looked at the ring on his right finger, feeling eager to try it out in the coming future.

* * *

**Arc 2 End**

**Next Arc: Arc 3 – Dreams forged from Rivalries**

* * *

_**So how was the close to this Arc? I was intending on extending screen time for everyone but I didn't want to drag things on or it would've gotten too jumbled to me. Anyways, see you all on the next chapter.**_


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